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COMPANY 1, 2^ REGT. 



SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



lAAiOR r-REOERSCK E. PIERCE. 





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REMINISCENCES 



OF THE EXPERIENCES OF 



COMPANY L, 



Second Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, U. S. V. 



IN THE 



SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



MAJOR FREDERICK E. PIERCE, 

Late Captain Company L, Second Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, 
U. S. V. 



GREENFIELD, MASS.: 

Press of E. A. Hall & Co. 

1900. 






TO THE BRAVE OFFICER AND MEN OF COMPANY t,, SECOND 

MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY, U. S. V., WHO SACRIFICED 

THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY, THIS 

VOLUME IS LOVINGLrY 

DEDICATED. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



In offering this work to the public the author desires to 
apologize to his readers for attempting to enter the theatre 
of Journalism, and to disclaim any pretense to natural talent 
in writing. 

I shall endeavor in the plainest of English, and without 
any attempt at well rounded metaphor or dramatic style, to 
give to my readers a simple story of the doings and honora- 
ble career of Company L in the Spanish-American War. 

I also desire to render grateful acknowledgment to those 
who have contributed valuable material to the pages of this 
volume, the names of whom will appear in the contents. 

To George W. Hale I am especially indebted for permis- 
sion to use several photographs in obtaining valuable illu.s- 
trations for this book. 

I have gathered and included in the reading matter, data 
and material somewhat foreign to the subject proper, but 
which pertains to the early history of the Company, and pre- 
vious military organizations of the town, with the hope that 
it may prove of value and interest to tho.se who read these 

pages. 

TiiK AuriioK. 



CONTENTS. 



Incidents Leading up to the Declaration of War with Spain, - i 

Roster of Company Iv, 2nd Reg. U. S. v., - - - - 3 

In Menioriam, -------- 6 

Formation of Company L,, 2nd Reg. U. S. V., - - - - 7 

Departure of Company L for South Framingham, - - - 8 

Life at Camp Dewey, - - - - -- - 9 

Our trip vSouth by Rail, ._-.-- 13 

Camp Massachusetts, Lakeland, Florida, - - - - 14 

Our Camp in Suburbs of Tampa, Florida, - - . - 20 

Life on the Transport "Seneca," - - - - - - 21 

Bombardment of Daiquiri and Siljoney, - - . - 25 

Landing at Daiquiri, ------- 26 

Siboney, --------- 29 

Engagement at La Guasima, ------ 32 

Report of O. M. Sergeant Salisbury in Charge of Detail on "vSeneca," 34 

Battle of El Caney, ------- 40 

San Juan, --.-.----49 

"Slippery Hill," .,--_.- 51 

The Night Attack, -------- 52 

Bombardment of Santiago, -..--- 52 

Regimental Song of 8th U. S. Regulars, - - - - 53 

A Night's Camp in a Road Leading to the City, - . - 58 

Our Last Camp and Entrenchments near Santiago Harbor, - - 59 

Surrender of vSantiago, ------- 60 

Santiago de Cuba, ----.-.-65 

The Men Left Behind, ------- 72 



CONTKNTS. 



AUK. 

88 
9' 
93 
94 



Our Trip Home ou the "Mobile," ..... 

Camp Wykoff, Montauk, L,. I., 

The Departure for Home ou Furlouj^h, 

Company I, Reaches Greenfield, . - - . . 

Expedition to Cuba to Bring Back the Bodies of Our Dead by 

Geo. W. Hale, ....... 

A Tragedy of the Home.Coming by Edward Branch Lyman, 

"Company D" by Dizzie S. Taylor, - - . . . 

Historical Sketches of Greenfield in the Wars, . . . - io6 

Greenfield in the Rebellion, 

Greenfield Dight Infantry, ...... 

Ex.Members of Company D, - 
Roster of Company D, July I, 1900, . - . . - 116 

Eleventh Provisional Company M. V. M., . . - . J17 

Lieut. C. H. Field, Garrison R. & V. Army and Navy Union, . 1 iS 

Greenfield Auxiliary to Mass. Vol. Aid Association, . . 119 

Letter from Dorothy Quincy Hancock Chapter, D. A. R., . - 122 

Citizens Relief Committee, . - . . . . 123 

Woman's Relief Corps and E. E. Day Post, G. A. R., . - - 124 



96 
100 
103 



107 

1 1 1 

1 12 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



• Frontispiece, Maj. F. E. Pierce. 
. Map of Cuba. 

Company L,, 2nd Reg. lufby U. S. V., (group picture.) 

■ Officers and Members of Company L,. 
Camp at Lakeland, Florida. 
Company L Barber Shop and Laundry. 

■ Colonel Clark and Major Whipple. 

^ A Few Consorts and Transports, 5th Army Corps. 
^ Transport "Seneca" No. 5 and Others. 
^ Battlefield from Block-house, El Caney. 

Block-house and Barbed Wire Entanglement. 
^ Position Company L, Battle El Caney. 

• Ruins vStone Block-house, El Caney. 
Palm Tree Bullet Pierced. 

vSan Juan Hill. 
' Lime-kiln Hospital, Kettle Hill. 

Where Lieut. Field was Buried, Ul Caney. 

I'ield Hospital, El Caney. 

Palm Grove Between Firing Lines, El Caney. 
-^ On the Road from El Caney to Santiago. 
^ Site Captain Pierce's Tent, Santiago. 

Site Colonel Clark's Tent, vSantiago. 

Second Regiment Hospital, Santiago. 

Plan of Santiago de Cuba Showing Portion of Troops, etc. 

Tree where Hobson was Exchanged and Treaty Signed. 

Stone Bridge, San Juan River. 



LIST OF II.LUSTKA'riONS. 



Cemetery, vSautiago, Started by Company L,. 

Final Surrender Tree and La Venus Cafe. 

Santiago de Cuba from Harbor. 

Morro Castle. 

Socapa Battery. 

Governor's Palace Plaza, Santiago. 

Cathedral of Santiago 300 Years Old. 

Front of Hospital, Santiago. 

Slaughter House, Santiago. 

Fac-simile of Money Order Baiquiri. 

The Mobile which Brought the Boys, etc. 

Brotherly Love. 

Bull Ring, Santiago. 

Fac-simile Captain Pierce's Commission as Divisional Postmaster. 

Court Yard, Hospital, Santiago. 

The Sunken Merrimac. Wreck of Reina Mercedes. 

A Typical Spanish Soldier. 

Judge Franklin G. Fessenden. 



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INCIDKNTS LEADING UP TO THlv 

DECLARATION OP^ WAR WITH SPAIN. 



Much has been written and said about the war with Spain 
being; one for humanity's sake. But certainly, it was not 
alone in the cause of humanity, that we fought, for history 
shows us that the rule of Spain could and would have been 
terminated in the Island of Cuba years ago had not the 
United States refused to allow intervention. Rather was it 
the natural outcome of having a perpetual stench of tyranny 
and oppression at our very doors; the memory of the "Vir- 
ginius"' affair and the final culmination in the most dastardly 
and cowardly outrage ever perpetrated upon any nation. 
"Remember the Maine," was the battle cry on many a lip 
and Spain has had plenty of time since that night of Feb- 
ruary 15th, 1898, to regret that a United States battleship on 
a friendly mission to her shores and while anchored in the 
harbor of Havana, should have been blown up, totally de- 
stroyed and 266 servants of Uncle Sam hurled into eternity. 

The Virginius affair may not be fresh in every reader's 
mind. It was during the ten years' war for Cuban liberty, 
in the year 1873, that an American Merchantman, the "Vir- 
ginius," was overhauled on the high seas by the Spanish gun- 
boat "Tornado," and her crew of fifty officers and men taken 
prisoners and conveyed to Santiago de Cuba. They were 
confined in the old .Spanish bullring, a picture of which is to 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



be found in thi.s volume, and from there taken to the pali- 
\sades, a picture of which also appears in this book, and shot. 
This latter enclosure is now the site of a slaughter house, an 
appropriate monument to mark the spot. 

The wrath of the people of the United vStates can be im- 
agined, but war was averted by the desire of those in power 
in our country, and the men in control of the money market, 
to have peace at any price. The ves.sel was declared to be 
improperly registered and we took money for our dead and 
peace was preserved. I visited the beautiful cemetery in 
Santiago where the bodies of these men were buried, but 
at that time the location of their graves was not marked. 







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ROSTER OF COMPANY L 



SECOND REGIMENT, MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY. INITED STATES Vdl.fNTEERS. 



Frederick 15. Pierce, Captain, 

Charles H. Fieed, ist Lieutenant, 

Fayette B. Mason, 2nd Lieutenant, 

Charles C. Class, ist Sergeant, 

Alston G. Salisbury, Q. M. Sergeant, 

Thomas D. Murphy, Sergeant, 

Charles E. Chapin. 

Archie C. Hale 

Don a. Aldrich, 

Donald M. Lobdell. Corporal, 

Edward M. Slocomb, 

Albert E. Denison, 

Albert W. Beckworth, " - 

George M. Brooks, 

Edward J. Class, 

Merton R. Dean, Musician, 

William y. Murphy-, Musician, 

Henry E. Ariel, Artificer, 

HENRY' M. Stewart, Wagoner, 

Andrew B. Anderson, Private, 

Charles C. Arnold, 

Gilbert C. Bangs, 

Harry' J. Barnes, 

George E. Bi.ackmer, 

Frank J. Brassor, 

Frank M. Breslin, 

Albert E. Brown, 

Frederick W. Brown, 



Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

(Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

South Deerfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Hartford, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Turners Falls, 

Colrain, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 

Millers Falls, 

Turners Falls, 

Greenfield. 

Riverside, 

Crrcenfield, 

Millers Falls, 

Greenfield, 

Greenfield, 



Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Conn. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 
Mass. 



CO. L, 2ND MASS, IN SPANISH-AMKRRAN WAR. 



Peter J. Campbell, Private, 
Robert A. Gary, 
Frank W. Carpenter, " 
Earl D. Coates, 
James D. Cook, " 

Edward M. Cornell, 
Herbert H. Davis, 
Warren P. H. Davls, 
George H. DeRevere, 
Henry H. DeVekger, 
James M. Farll, " 

Willis B. F'ay, " 

Fred F. Floury, "' 

Julius J. FoRGETTE, " 

Ivouis E. Freshour, " 

Clark S. Frost, 
Peter C. Fuchs, 
Clayton D. Goland, " 

Henry C. Graves, 
Peter a. Greenia, 
Harry C. Hall, 
William J. Kelliher, 
William J. Kingston, " 
Edward J. Lague, " 

Joseph M. Lanois, " 

William H. Miller, " 

Timothy J. Murphy, " 

Frank P. Norton, " 

William O'Connell, " 

George H. Patnode, " 

Walter C. Raymond, . " 
Thomas Riley, 
Frederick C. Schiller, " 
Charles A. Smead, " 

Frank A. Smith, " 

Ward W. Smith, 
Ralph J. Snow, " 

LovELL S. Spaulding, 
Robert Stockburger, " 
Jeremiah J. Sullivan, " 
John Thyne, Jr., " 

August H. Ungrich, 



Turners Falls, Mass. 
Greeufield, Mass. 
vShelburne, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
vScranton, Pa. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Deerfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Chicago, 111. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Montague, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Conway, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Riverside, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
East Deerfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Greenfield, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 
Turners Falls, Mass. 



ROSTERS OF cOMVA'Sy I,. 



Richard A. Van Pktkksii.gk, Private, 

Harry A. Watsox, 

Frkdkrick K. Wii.i.ia.ms, 

Charlhs p. Wilson, 

Harry A. Wjsk, 

Harry L. Woodard, 

Otto Zkigd-.r, 



South Dtcrficld, Mass. 

(rreculicld, Mass. 

GreL-iifitld, Mass. 

Shelburne Falls, Mass. 

Turners Falls, Muss. 

- Greeuliekl, Mass. 

- Turners I'alls, Mass. 




IN MEMORIAM. 



Charlies H. Fiia.n, First Lieutenant. 

Kilk-d in battle El Caney. July I, 1898. 

Ch.vkles E. Ch.\pin, vSergeaut. 

Died Montauk, L. I., August 30, 1S98. 

Archik C. Hale, vSergeant. 

Died Santiago de Cuba, August 15, 1898. 

Gkorce M. Brooks, Corporal. 

Died Santiago de Cuba, August 1. 1898. 

Peter J. C.\mpbkll, Private. 

Died Montauk, L. I., August 38, 1898. 

Peter A. GrEENIA, Private: 

Died Conway, Mass., September 1, 1898. 

Edward J. La(;ue, Private. 

Died Montauk, L. I., August 2f), 1898. 

Joseph M. Lanois, Private. 
Fatally wounded battle El Caney, .luly 1, 189S, Died Divi.^ional Hospital, July 3, 1898. 

Timothy J. Murphy, Private. 

Died Turners Falls. Mass . September 6, 1898. 

Frank P. Norton, Private. 

Died Montauk, L. I., August 32. 1898. 

George H. Patnode, Private. 

Died Boston, Mass., September 1. 1898. 

Jeremiah J. vSui.eivan, Private. 

Died Santiago de Cuba, August 11, 1898. 

Henry M. Stewart, Private. 

Died Greenfield. Mass., September 39, 1899. 

John Thyne, Jr., Private. 

Died Santiago de Cuba, August (5, 1898. 

Frederick E. Williams, T'rivate. 

Died near Havana, Cuba, September 9. 1899. 

Otto Zeigler, Private. 

Died Springfield, Mass., August 39, 1898. 

Jacok F. Stark, Civilian, (Captain's servant.) 

Died Santiago de Cuba. September 10, 1898. 



FORMATION OF 



COMPANY L, 2NU REG. MASS. INF'Y. U. S. V. 



The breaking out of the Spanish War found Company L, 
Second Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, 
or as it is known socially, "The Greenfield Light Infantry," in 
a fairly flourishing condition. Many of the members were 
old timers and had distinguished themselves as well drilled 
men, and at the rifle butts. 

There were men in the organization who had been with it 
from its inception, and who wore upon their breasts the 
bronze star of the distinguished marksman, the badge of the 
sharpshooter and many other tokens of prowess won at dif- 
ferent competitions. 

Socially there were men in the ranks who represented the 
best elements of the town. But with the formation of Com- 
pany L, Second Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. United 
States Volunteers, many of these men were not included in 
its roster. Some were dropped from the rolls after physical 
examination, owing to some slight defect, and .some fotmd it 
their duty to remain at home with their families, rather than 
to hasten to the front. 

Sometimes at such a call it takes more courage to remain 
at home than it does to go to war. All honor to the man 
who can have the courage at such a time to do his duty to 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IX SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



his family, even at the cost of his reputation and in the 
face of insult and innuendo. 

It became necessary, therefore, to advertise for recruits to 
fill vacancies and to increase the Company to its maximum 
strength of seventy-seven officers and men. 

It was with little difficulty that the required number was 
enrolled and the Company made ready to start for South 
Framing-ham, the rendezvous of the regiment. Before leav- 
ing, the patriotic citizens tendered a reception and banquet 
to the Company. Few of those who attended that magnifi- 
cent send-off will ever forget it, for it was not only a credit 
to those who conceived the idea, but it was an honor to the 
town, as it showed the patriotism and stalwart worth of her 
citizens. 



DEPARTURE OF COMPANY L FOR SOUTH FRAMINGHAM. 

The Company left Greenfield for South Framingham, May 
3, 189S, in a drizzling rain; but the enthusiastic and warm- 
hearted send-off of the townspeople made up for the dark 
clouds and soaking moisture, and most of the bovs went off 
with light hearts and a determination to do their duty in 
such a way as to merit the confidence and good will dis- 
played by the citizens. 

Very few of the citizens, or soldiers for that matter, 
dreamed of active work for the regiment; certainly no one 
expected the Second Regiment to see the service or make 
the magnificent record it did. It was not alone the men 
of the town, but the ladies were, as in all ages, foremost in 
the good work of the home guard. 

The "Woman's Relief Corps" presented the Company with 
their colors, as did also the "Daughters of the American Rev- 
olution." We could not carry these to the front, but they 
will be kept by us always in remembrance of the thoughtful 



I 




I. 1ST. Lt. C. H. Field. 2. jM). I.t. l". H. Mason. 

■i. Capt. F. E. Pikkck. 



CO. L, 2\D REf;. MASS. INl'V, U. S. V. 



kindness of the ladies. Not alone was their patriotism con- 
fined to parting remembrances, but all thr()Lii>fh our absence, 
sympathetic hearts and willin^^ hands worked unceasiny^lv 
to send us comforts. It was not their fault that most of 
these were never received, and had the war been prolonj^ed 
we should have had much from them that would have been 
of great value and comfort to us. 

The Company proceeded direct to Camp "Uewey" without 
incident worthy of note. 

LIFE AT CAMl' DEWEY. 

The days spent at South Framingham were extremely 
bu.sy ones. The Companies in the Regiment were examined 
physically, in order of their letter, so that Company L was 
next to the last one examined. This examination was very 
rigid and we lost several men by rejection. I was obliged 
to return to Greenfield for recruits, and advertised my re- 
turn and its object, with the result that I received between 
thirty and forty applications for the sixteen vacancies. These 
men were examined by a local physician and I selected 
eighteen men and returned with them to Camp Dewey. 
They all passed the board and we contributed two men to 
the ranks of Company F, the Gardner Company. 

I recall how anxious all of the men were to pass the ex- 
amination, and how disappointed some of them, were be- 
cause they failed to get in. The first test was the eyesight. 
If you could not pass here you were rejected without further 
examination. One man in particular, I recall as nearly 
broken hearted because he could not see clearly enough 
with one eye to pass. The surgeon was very fair and gave 
him several trials, but he finally gave it up. 

When I went to the office to verify my list I was surprised 
to find this man marked accepted. I told the clerk it must 



10 CO. L, 2NI) MASS., IN SPAXISII-AMERICAX WAR. 

be a mi.stake, but he insisted the man was accepted, so I in- 
cluded him in the roster. The boy was overjoyed and I will 
say to his credit that he made one of the best soldiers in my 
command. He was probably the only man in the Regiment 
who was mustered in without taking a full physical examin- 
ation. This man was Private Williams. I was prejudiced 
against enlisting him at first, but he was so earnest in his de- 
termination to enlist and promised me so faithfully that if 
permitted to join the Company he would conduct himself in 
such a manner that I would not be sorry for taking him, that 
I finally consented. Let me record here, that I considered 
him of great value as a soldier and I became very much at- 
tached to him personally. No man ever did his duty better 
or worked harder for the comfort and welfare of his com- 
rades than Private Williams. After he was mustered out 
of the volunteer service he joined the regulars, and in a 
short time became an acting non-commissioned officer. 

The saddest part of his history came, barely four months 
after his second enlistment, when the news reached us from 
Havana that he was dead from yellow fever. Thus the light 
of another brave soldier of Company L United States Vol- 
unteers has gone out, but his memory will live with us 
always. 

Another boy was so disappointed that he cried. He gave 
his weight as 125 pounds and the surgeon said he should 
weigh 135 pounds for his height. He asked me what he 
should do, and I advised him to go down town and get a 
written certificate of weight from some merchant. I inci- 
dentally remarked that he should gain ten pounds from the 
exercise of walking down town. He came back shortly with 
a paper showing he weighed 135 pounds and the surgeon 
passed him. I have been told since that some stones in his 
pockets, which he gathered on his way down town, helped 
materially in the increase. However that may be, he made 




3. Sgt. T. D. MURi'HV. 4. Sgt. C. H. Chaimn. v >Kt. A. C. Mam.. 

I I.St Sgt. C. C. CLASS. -"• «J. M- ^Kt- -•\- ('• SAMsm-KV. 

6. Sgt. D. A. ALi.R.cH. 7- Corp. D. M. I...K...;..i.. «• Corp. K. M. Si..k:..mi.. 



CO. L, 2ND REC. MASS. INl-'V, V . S. \. 



I I 



a good soldier. This man was Private Cook of Scranton, 
Pennsylvania. The facts concerning- his enlistment are in- 
teresting to note, as at the time of his signing the enlistment 
book, he was a travelling man, but while in Greenfield heard 
that several of his friends at home had enlisted in a Penn- 
sylvania Regiment, and not wishing to be behind them in 
patriotism, and fearful lest he could not get in the home 
regiment, he telegraphed his resignation to his house and 
joined Company L. He writes me that he is not .sorrv, but 
proud to have been in Company L of the gallant Second 
Massachusetts. 

Another boy would be eighteen years old in a very few 
days, but in his excitement lest he should be rei'ected, he 
forgot himself and gave his age as seventeen and so re- 
mained at home. This man was Waldo Johnson. That he 
w^ould have made an excellent soldier cannot be doubted as 
at this writing he is a member of the Twenty-sixth Regiment, 
United States Volunteers, and experiencing active service in 
the Philippines. He was, however, nearer the eighteen vear 
mark than one boy in my Company who was mustered in, and 
whom I have learned since, was barely fifteen years of age. 
I refer to Private Raymond, a good soldier who did his whole 
duty without complaint. At this writing Private Raymond is 
in the United vStates Marine service stationed on board the 
cruiser "Btiffalo" and en route for the Philippines or China. 

We did some remarkable hustling after this in the prepa- 
ration of our rolls with the result that Company L had the 
distinction of undoubtedly being the .second Company of In- 
fantry to be mustered into the Volunteer service of the 
United States in her war with Spain. Company K of Spring- 
field was the first Company of Infantry to be mustered into 
the United States service. 

The remaining days at Camp Dewey were enjoyable ones. 
Some of the boys complained of the food, but after they were- 



12 CO. L. 2ND MASS., IN SP.\NISI[-AMERIC.\N WAR. 



mii.stered into the .service of Uncle Sam, they mu.st have 
dreamed of these meals and imagined they were seated at 
banquet tables groaning- from the weight of every liixurv of 
the season. 

I remember the experience of one of the boys, who. pre- 
suming too much upon the friendship of the cook, insisted 
upon being waited upon out of turn. The cook quietly in- 
formed him he must fall in line and be served with the rest, 
whereupon the young man became abusive in his language. 
The quick temper of the cook was aroused and in anger he 
threw a sugar bowl at the offender which smashed in pieces 
upon his head. I did not witness this affair, but the boy 
came to me and asked to be sent to the hospital. I found 
he had quite a bad .scalp-wound. I asked him how it hap- 
pened and he said he had been playing ball and had been 
hit on the head by a pitched ball. The cook afterwards felt 
very sorry and related the circumstances to me. The prin- 
cipals were soon as fast friends as ever. So kind hearted 
was the cook and so anxious to show the man his good will, 
that he afterwards gave him two dollars to buy luxuries 
with. Let me record here that I held the cook, Private 
Farll, in the highest regard. He was a good soldier, who 
had seen service in the Regular Army, and was of material 
assistance to me until wounded at San Juan Hill, July 2nd. 

We kept very busy these days. We had to be equipped 
and clothed, and recruits had to be drilled and there was a 
general hustle to insure a complete readiness for an active 
campaign. At last came the day for our departure from 
Camp Dewey. Reveille was sounded early on account of the 
amount of work to be performed, and the uncertainty of the 
hour at which we should break camp. The morning trains 
brought thousands of friends from all parts of Massachu- 
setts. All were anxious to see their dear ones before they 
left the State. At eight o'clock tents were struck, and at 




3. Artificer H. E. Ariel. 4- Corp. A. W. Hi.ckuoktm. s. Crp. C M. Ukuoks 



I. Corp. A. K- Uenison. 



. Wa.uomr H. M. Sti.wakt. 



6. Corp. E. J. Cl.as.s. 



Musician M. K. I)i;.\n. 



s. Musician \V. II. Miki'Iiv. 



CO. 1., 2\1) RFC. MASS. IM"v, l'. S. V. 1 3 

3.30 p. m. the Second Rec^iment was reviewed by the Crov- 
ernor, after which his Excellency Roger Wolcott presented 
to each commissioned officer his commission. 

We left the camp grounds about six o'clock and marched 
to the station. The people of South Framingham did them- 
selves proud in the way of decorations, and nearly all of the 
houses were decorated with bunting and patriotic symbols. 
A large arch had been erected over the principal thorough- 
fare under which we had to pass, upon which was inscribed 
the words "God be with you till we meet again." We 
reached Newport at ten o'clock that night. At all the sta- 
tions of the towns and cities through which we passed we 
encountered crowds of people who showed their enthusiasm 
and interest by wild cheering, building of bonfires and l)urn- 
ing red lights. 

•At Newport, R. L, we boarded the steamer "Plymouth" of 
the Fall River line for New York. There we went on board 
the transport "Saratoga," and later transferred to the "Vigi- 
lancia." We anchored off Bedloes' Island for the night, and 
remained on board the boat during the next day until even- 
ing, when, to our surprise, we were landed at Pennsylvania 
Railroad Docks, and went on board trains and proceeded 
.south by rail. We afterwards heard that a rumor of a Span- 
ish fleet off our coast had caused the change of program. 

OUR TRIP SOUTH P.V R.VU.. 

There were three sections to our train, and each section 
had a sleeping car attached for the use of the commissioned 
officers. I think the officers felt worse than the men did on 
account of this distinction. Our life on the cars was a fairly 
enjoyable one, and the trip through the south was pleasant, 
though very fatiguing. 

We had a fine quartette of voices in our battalion and the 



14 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN spanish-amp:rican war. 



boys were invited every day into the officers' car. Their 
songs helped to drive dull care away and to stifle homesick- 
ness. Two members of this quartette died in Cuba a sacri- 
fice to their country. 

We .supposed we were going to Tampa or Key West, in 
Florida, but were delighted when orders were changed. We 
reached Lakeland the night of May i6, and disembarked on 
the morning of the 17th. 

CAMP MASSACHUSETTS, LAKELAND, FLORIDA. 

This spot is charming and the site selected an ideal one, 
situated on the picturesque banks of Lake Morton in a grove 
of tall white oaks, whose drooping branches were festooned 
with great bunches of beautiful Spanish moss. It was at 
this camp that Private Brass of Company I died of pneu- 
monia. It was our first loss by death and a feeling of sad- 
ness and awe crept over the entire camp. The funeral, 
which was held at the little Episcopal church near by, was a 
great tribute to ihe worth of the volunteer, who had given 
his life in. the .service of his country. Nearly every Com- 
pany in the Regiment, with the field and staff officers, at- 
tended ; and as Richard Harding Davis expresses it, 

"He was given a funeral that a marshal of France might 
have deserved and one which taught a fine lesson." "It 
showed that the man in the uniform of his country is the 
man his countrymen honor above all other men." 

Private Miller of L Company was sick at the .same time with 
pneumonia, and I well remember the two cots side by side, 
and when poor Brass died, all that separated the dead from 
the living was a sheet hung between the cots. 

Referring to Richard Harding Davis, he was rather a con- 
spicuous figure at that time in our camp, and created quite 
a favorable impression upon tho.se who came in contact with 




I. Private A. B. Andekson. 
4. Private H. J. Barnes. 
7. Private F. M. Breslin. 



Private C. C. Arnolp. 
Private G. K. Blackmkr. 
Private A. K. Bkown. 



;,. I'riviili- «".. C. ll.\Nt.>. 
6. Private K. J. Hrassok. 
9. Private K. W. Hk»>\vn. 



CO. L 2ND REG., MASS. INF*V, U. S. V. K 



him, but we have to smile when he compares the Second 
Massachusetts to the Seventy-first New York. It shows he 
isn't posted upon Western Massachusetts. 

He says : "The New York men were city bred ; they had 
the cockney's puzzled contempt for the country. Their 
nerves had been edged by the incessant jangle of the cable 
cars, and the rush and strain of elevated trains. Their palates 
had been fed on Sunday papers and Wall Street tickers. 
Their joys were those of the roof gardens and Muschen- 
hiems," 

"The 2nd. Mass. men on the other hand were from the 
smaller towns in Western Massachusetts. They were farm- 
ers' sons and salesmen in village stores; some of them were 
country lawyers, and many of them worked in the mills." He 
spoke of their pining for one more look at a stone fence and 
a drink of water out of a bucket drawn from the well. (They 
were all used to drinking out of wooden buckets.) 

He hits the truth the nearest when he says "The New York 
boys held the Spaniards in such fine contempt that as one ex- 
pressed it, 'They wouldn't do a thing to them.'" He goes 
on to say that "later they kept their word." We were very 
fortunate at I^akeland in making many lasting friendships. 

The banker of the town was a man by the name of Neuen- 
kamp, a German of good education, who had been a consul 
at some South American port at one time. I had taken the 
precaution to establish my credit at this bank so that in case 
of need I could obtain money through it on my personal 
checks. My Masonic associations also helped me, as Mr. 
Neuenkamp was master of the Lodge at Lakeland. 

He offered to give the Masons in the Regiment a recep- 
tion and great preparations were made for the affair, but we 
were ordered away from Lakeland the very day of the re- 
ception. The race prejudice in Florida is very great and the 
distinction between the whites and blacks is very sharply 



I 



16 CO. L, 2NI) MASS., L\ SPANISH-AM KRICAX WAR. 



drawn. One had only to step into a barber-shop or to board 
a street car or railroad train to find the whites had nothing 
in common with the colored population. 

While at Lakeland a colored trooper .shot a white man. and 
the race prejudice was so strong that the wildest excitement 
existed. The trooper tried to get shaved in a barber shop 
and was refused, whereupon he whipped out his revolver 
and began demolishing the shop. He succeeded in doing 
this, but a stray shot struck an inoffensive citizen passing by 
and killed him. I was shaved at the barber shop the next 
day, or rather on the side-walk, as the shop itself was com- 
pletely wrecked. 

A few of the officers started a club in town and gave an 
entertainment one afternoon, consisting of banjo playing, 
singing, etc. I shall never forget the recitation, '"Presenting 
the flag," given by Lieutenant Vesper of Company B. Poor 
fellow, we buried him at .sea, and by you who have witnes.sed 
the last sad rites of a burial at sea our feelings can be best 
appreciated. It is .sad enough when it is a stranger, Init 
when your friend and fellow comrade is to be buried it is 
nearly heartbreaking. 

There is something grand about it, too. Wrapped in Old 
Glory the fitting shroud of a hero, with comrades as bearers, 
the band playing a solemn dirge, and the chaplain reading 
the impressive service for burial at sea, it is grand, though 
sad. We witnessed many scenes like this on our homeward 
voyage. 

You have read of General Francis V. Greene. While at 
Lakeland, I acted as banker for the Regiment, and the bank 
required my indorsement to personal checks before they 
would cash them. General Greene had just received his 
commission as Brigadier General of Volunteers and ordered 
to Manila. He came to the bank that day and wanted a 
check cashed so he could leave for San Francisco at once. 




I. Private P J. Camphkli,. 
4. Private E. D. Coates. 
7. Private H. H Davis. 



2. 


Private K 


A. Cakv. 


5- 


Private J. 


1). CODK. 


8. 


Private W 


P. 11. Davi 



3. Private K. \V. Cakim:nti k. 
6. Private K. M. Coknki.i.. 
9. Private G. H. Di.Ki.vi Ki . 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 1 7 



The banker required identification and I identified General 
Greene, but that was not sufficient, I must endorse his check. 
The General at first declined my proffer to endorse for him. 
but later, in his anxiety to leave at once he came to me and 
asked for the endorsement. 

Let me place myself on record as saying that I think the 
American soldier is the best in the world. I expected we 
volunteers would be severely criticised by the Regular offi- 
cers we came in contact with, but such was not the case. 
You read accounts of criticism fronl. some of the higher 
ranked officers, but it is in my opinion caused through jeal- 
ousy or ignorance. 

General Young, now in the Philippines, who in my way of 
thinking is much too old to command troops on such a cam- 
paign, is on record as saying, "it was a mistake to take the 
volunteers with the Fifth Army Corps." I don't know where 
he formulated his ideas, certainly not from his connection 
with us. He was in command of the brigade to which we 
were attached while at Lakeland for a short time, but if he 
made up his mind then, he showed it in a peculiar way. I 
remember his stopping Major Whipple and myself on the 
piazza of the hotel at Lakeland, one afternoon and address- 
ing the Major, said he desired to ask a question relative to 
a dress parade we had just come from. He said, "I ask this 
question, not to criticise your Regiment but because I don't 
know myself." The Major, wishing to grind me a little, I 
suspect, replied, "General, if you have any questions on tac- 
tics or regulations, Capt. Pierce is authority." 

General Young stated the question and I was glad I could 
answer him off-hand and correctly. We .saw nothing of 
him, practically, after we left the vStatcs. and he left Cuba 
before the battle of "El Caney." When he wanted a good 
penman for his headquarters, I notice he came to our Regi- 
ment and Company L was honored by the .selection of one 



1 8 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

of our men. Private Barnes, one of the cleanest boys in 
Company L, was detailed for this work and accomplished it 
with much credit to himself and to the organization to which 
he belonged. 

The averao:e volunteer in the ranks is more intelliofent 
than the regular. This is necessarily so for we draw our 
material from the school, counting-house, factory, store or 
farm, and usually get better educated men in consequence. 

If the Second Regiment was considered outclassed, why did 
every Division Commander in the Corps request that we be 
attached to them and every Brigade Commander ask that we 
be included in his brigade? If we were not satisfactory, why 
were we constantly pushed to the front? When they wanted 
a man with experience and good common sense to superin- 
tend the construction of roads, bridges or entrenchments 
they sent to the Second Regiment and requested that Major 
Whipple be detailed. I recall no hesitancy on the part of 
those in command in placing Colonel Clark in command 
of the brigade when Colonel Van Horn became incapaci- 
cated. In fact I have heard his work, while in that position, 
highly commended by Regular Army officers. I have al- 
ways been sorry he was not retained permanently as our 
brigade commander. 

When they finally wanted a postmaster for the Division, 
it was to the Second Regiment they came for the man. I 
state these few of many cases to show what rot it is for these 
jealous old fogies to criticise our Regiment when they could 
have assigned plenty of regulars to these positions had they 
preferred them, or thought them more efficient. 

It certainly was not our fault that we were armed with the 
"Springfield" rifle, or "smoke-stacks," as they were commonly 
called. We wanted the "Krag" but they refused to issue 
them to us. In fact, they thought at that time the Spring- 
field rifle was a superior gun. I really think it is superior 




I. Private H. H. DkYekc-kr. 
4. Private F. F. Flovrv. 
7. Private C. S. Frost. 



2. Private J. M. I'AKi.L. 
5. Private J. J. FORGETTE. 
8. Private P. C. FrcHS. 



3. Private \V. It. lAV. 

6. Private U. K. Frkshoi k. 

9. Private C. 1). Goi.ANH. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 19 

to the Krag as far as stopping qualities are concerned, and if 
we eould have used smokeless powder, as they are doing now 
in the Philippines, I would not care to exchange for the 
Krag-Jorgensen. You notice they armed the volunteers sent 
to Porto Rico later with the "Krag." You read that we were 
handicapped with so many recruits. The same conditions, 
and even worse, prevailed in the regular Regiments. The 
Eighth United States regulars received sixty recruits on 
board the "Seneca" who had never fired a rifle and were not 
even provided with uniforms or equipments until just before 
we landed. 

I wish to say that this spirit of criticism did not prevail 
amongst the Eighth and Twenty-second United States Reg- 
ulars, two of the best regiments in the service, and brigaded 
with us. Major Conrad, in command of the Eighth, told me 
he wished Companies I and L could be attached to his Regi- 
ment permanently. 

There are some 3000 lakes in the county of Lakeland 
alone, beautiful sheets of water, and we enjoyed many a 
delightful plunge in the cool of the morning or after sun- 
down. 

There was a slight drawback to this pleasure in the snakes 
and alligators which abound in and about these lakes. The 
alligators seem quite harmless as they float about on the sur- 
face, occasionally raising their heads as if in wonder at our 
intrusion. We had a man in our company who was quite an 
expert snake catcher. I have seen him catch a large, whip 
snake, resembling our black snake, at least six feet long, and 
holding it with his right hand near the head wind its body 
about his arm clear to the shoulder. I remember the creepy 
sensation which came over me hearing a couple of small 
boys tell about killing two moccasins the day before, right 
where we were bathing. The quality of the food issued 
here was good, but to strong healthy men it seemed to be 



20 CO. L,- 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

lacking in quantity. As one of my men facetiously re- 
marked, the camp should be named "Little Eat" insteacl of 
"Massachusetts." 

OUR CAMP IN THE SUBURBS OF TAMPA, FLORIDA. 

From Lakeland we went to Ybor City, and again we were 
blessed with a fine camping ground. I enjoyed those few 
days in the suburbs of Tampa. Those of you who have been 
to this Florida rfesort know that it is well worth the trip just 
to stop at the beautiful Tampa Bay hotel, a "palace in Fairy- 
land." They have a salt water plunge in connection with 
the hotel and we enjoyed going over if only for a swim in 
the tank. It was a grand and magnificent sight to enter 
this hotel, and especially at night, when the brilliancy of the 
electrics set off the gay uniforms of the officers and foreign 
attaches and the beautiful gowns of the ladies. 

Here one saw the social side of the men you read about. 
Such celebrities as General Miles, Shafter, Wheeler, Lawton, 
Chaffee and Kent could be seen often in the hotel rotunda 
or strolling along the lengthy piazzas. It was at this hotel 
that some of the officers of the Second learned to look with 
disfavor upon those in command of the other Volunteer In- 
fantry Regiment in our Corps. The Colonel was no gentle- 
man, and openly insulted the wife of one of our Captains by 
speaking to her in a nasty way about the Second. 

He' had his reward and the tears were scarce with us at the 
disgrace of their Regiment later. Orders finally came to us 
to proceed to Tampa Bay and board transports. We were 
obliged to leave Private Miller behind as he was too weak 
from sickness to accompany us. He probably felt as keen 
disappointment as any of us at his being left behind. But 
if he could not fight for his country on a foreign .soil he had 
a hard fight for his life in the poorly equipped hospitals of 




I. Private H. C. Graves. 

4. Private W. J. Kelliher. 
7. Private J. M. Lanois. 



2. Private P. A. r.RKF:N-lA. 
5. Private \V. J. Kingston. 
8. Private \V. II. Miller. 



i. Private It. C. Hai.i.. 
6. Private E. J. I.ac.i k. 
9. Private T. J. MiRiilv. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 21 

the south. A man's merit is \vei<^'hed by his endeav'ors and 
he is entitled to as much credit as thouo;-h he had accompa- 
nied us. 

We suffered much annoyance here just before sailing in 
receiving- and dispatching our mails. I understand our let- 
ters home were held for five days at Tampa, partly because 
of poor facilities for handling it and more especially to pre- 
vent rumors spreading as to our intended departure and 
destination. 

Our trials began here in earnest. Ordered to strike tents 
and be ready to march at once, we lay out in the cold with- 
out any covering that night, and it was late the next day 
w^hen we received marching orders. We finally marched to 
the train and proceeded to Port Tampa. We found the 
transport "Orizaba," the boat assigned to us, occupied by 
another Regiment. 

It was here our first fight should have been made, but in- 
stead the boys were obliged to spend the night in an old 
freight shed on the wharf. The next day, instead of right- 
ing matters, the Regiment was split up, one battalion going 
on board the "Concha," one battalion and Headquarters on 
the "Orizaba," and one battalion on the "Seneca;" after- 
wards the two battalions on the ^'Concha" and "Orizaba" were 
transferred to the "Knickerbocker" of unlucky number thir- 
teen, and Companies E and M, with our Major, were sent on 
board the "Manteo," I and L remaining on the "Seneca." 
The histories of these two latter Companies, from this time 
until our landing on Cuban soil, is distinct and separate from 
the rest of the Regiment. 

LIFE ON THE TRANSPORT ''SENECA." 

Rumors were frequent those days, and we had hardly 
gotten out into the harbor before we were all hustled back 



22 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

and tied up to the wharves to keep out of the way of imag- 
inary Spanish torpedo boats. It was during the confusion, 
incident to getting the transports back to the wharves, that 
the "Florida" was run into by the "Miami." I can see her 
now with a great fissure running down her side from the rail 
almost to where the sharp prow of the "Miami" struck her 
water-line. Next day we were out in the harbor again. It 
was while waiting for orders to proceed that I came in touch 
and familiar with the poor facilities of the Quartermaster 
General's department. This condition prevailed, I believe. 
largely through the inefficiency of appointees to commissions 
from civilian life. I was ordered to procure transportation 
from the wharf to the transport for men and supplies. I re- 
ported to Colonel H., in charge, and was informed I must see 
Captain S. in regard to the matter. I politely inquired where 
he might be found and was told, in the most insulting tones, 
I could look for him anywhere within three miles of the 
office. I saluted after thanking him for information and re- 
ported the affair to my superior officer. We got the trans- 
portation, however, because we took it without permission, 
inasmuch as we couldn't get it through proper channels. 

I took a great interest in trying to keep the boys supplied 
with their letters from home. This perhaps, in part, was be- 
cause of my familiarity in handling the mails, but I was a 
firm believer all through the campaign that a letter from 
home was the best tonic that could be given to the boys. I 
remember visiting the little one-horse po.stoffice near the 
wharf at Tampa Bay and finding it packed and jammed full 
to the ceiling with undelivered mail matter, I got all the 
mail I could for our Regiment and returned to the trans- 
port. In my hurry I had taken a lot which belonged to the 
companies on the "Knickerbocker." The captain of the 
"Seneca" kindly gave me a boat's crew and we rowed over 
to the Knickerbocker and gave them their mail. They were 




I. Private F. P. Norton. 
4. Private W. C. Raymond. 
7. Private C. A. Smead. 



2. Private \V. O'Connki.i. 
5. Private T. Rilkv. 
S. Private K. A. Smith. 



3. iriviiu *'.. 11. I'ATNoni: 
6. Private I". C. Sliiii.i.kk. 
9. Private \V. W. Smith. 



CO. L, 2Nr) REG. M.\SS. INF V, U. S. V. 23 



a discouraged looking' lot of fellows and I was well satisfied 
to get back to the "Seneca." 

Those were long days and monotonous ones, but finally, 
under protection of consorts, we started. The suffering on 
these crowded transports can be imagined when I tell you 
we were on them fourteen days before landing. The water 
issued to the men was vile. It was Mississippi water, but 
stored in foul casks. The water drunk by the officers was 
the same but stored in an iron tank and run through ice. I 
reported the condition of affairs to the surgeon, but he said I 
was mistaken, that the water was chemically pure. I finally 
took a cupful to him and the odor was so offensive that it 
nauseated him. I laid in with the steward and between us 
we hypothecated all the water we could, and I passed it out 
of my state room window to my men. I recall telling Lieu- 
tenant Mason the suffering of the men for want of water, 
and asked him to see if he couldn't get them some. In his 
characteristic manner he said he thought that easy and 
walked over to the officers' table and took a large pitcher of 
ice water and carried it to his state-room and pas.sed it out to 
our men. 

As senior officer of the vSecond Regiment on board the 
"Seneca" it was my duty, in company with the majors of the 
Eighth, to inspect the boat twice each day. The bunks, made 
of "rough boards, had been thrown together hurriedly and 
every inch of space was utilized. The boat, filthy to .start 
with and overcrowded with men, supplies and baggage, was 
hard to keep in anything like a sanitary condition. In con- 
sequence the lower decks were foul and ill-smelling. The 
men in a great measure preferred to spend their time and 
sleep on the upper deck and you would find them huddled 
together in every conceivable spot. Even when it rained, 
they preferred the fresh air and wet clothes to going below 
where the air was close and stifling. 



24 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

Corporal Lobdell showed the stuff he was made of on this 
sea-trip of fourteen days. He was not a good sailor and suf- 
fered in consequence from seasickness. I ordered him down 
to my state-room and got the steward to give him some food. 
He protested and said he must not be treated differently 
from the others. The only way I could get him to take 
some nourishment and fresh water was by getting him to 
distribute some amongst the other boys. He was a prime 
favorite with all the boys and not one of them would have 
complained if he had received Benjamin's share, or ten times 
the comforts they did. 

It was a grand sight to see the long line of transports in 
three columns guarded on the flanks and in advance by the 
warships of our navy. I shall never forget the magnificence 
of it all. There were nearly fifty boats of all kinds in this 
expedition. The signal lights at night, with their beautiful 
colors and the long flash of the search-lights, were superb. 
No one knew where we were going. One day it was Santi- 
ago de Cuba, the next it would be Porto Rico, but we were 
pretty sure it was Santiago when we turned to the west after 
leaving the windward passage. I have every reason to be- 
lieve that the Fifth Army Corps was originally intended for 
Porto Rico. But after Cevera's fleet was bottled up in Santi- 
ago harbor, prominent naval officers predicted that the city 
could be taken by the combined forces of the navy and a land 
force of 10,000 men. Our corps being the nearest to readi- 
ness for active duty, was hustled off for this purpo.se. 

While anchored near the breakwater off Tampa Bay, the 
boys had lots of sport swimming and diving in the water. 
We had some expert swimmers and divers in our Company 
and the magnificent physique and set-up of the men was the 
wonder and admiration of the regular officers. They would 
dive off the top rail of the boat, some thirty-five feet, with 
the ease and grace of an expert diver. Privates Woodard 



CO. L 2ND REG., M.VSS. IXF'v, U. S. V. 



and Albert Brown were, perhaps, the be.st divers in our Com- 
pany. They were both g^ood soldiers and did excellent ser- 
vice. 

Occcasionally a school of sharks would appear near by and 
there would be a grand scramble for the side nf the boat. 
But no casualties occurred from this cause. By the way, did 
you ever know of an authentic ca.se where a man was killed 
by a shark(?) The Captain of the boat asked me that ques- 
tion and I was obliged to reply in the negative. He claimed 
that a shark would never attack a man and challenged any- 
one to cite an instance where they actually knew of anyone's 
ever being devoured by one. On the way down I saw a real 
water-spout. I had never seen one before except as pict- 
ured in my geography, and it was well worth the seeing, I 
assure you. The Southern Cross was also an interesting 
sight, not that the stars are any brighter, but because it can- 
not be seen so far north as this. 

BOMBARDMENT OF DAK^UIRI AND SIBONY. 

We slowed up off Santiago, and it was finally announced 
that we were to land somewhere next day. The bombardment 
and manuevering of our war ve.s.sels was a grand sight. The 
bombardment took place at both Siboney and Daiquiri, .so 
that our actual landing place .should not be known to the 
Spaniards. A perfect .shower of shells was fired into the 
sides of the mountains and along the coast. A .serious mi.s- 
take was made just before our landing. 

The officers had dressed themselves in their Khaki uni- 
forms and they were much more comfortable than the thick 
blue ones. But the senior officer in command of the troops 
on our boat, a strict disciplinarian and West Pointer, refu.sed 
to allow us to land in any but our blue fatigue uniform. We 
suffered much in consequence from the heat and because 



26 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



the officers became conspicuous marks for the ever watchful 
sharpshooter. 



LANDING AT DAIQUIRI. 

Finally we were ordered to land at Daiquiri. This w\as no 
easy task, as the "Seneca," improperly loaded with heavy siege 
guns and in the trough of the sea, rolled from side to side, 
until it seemed as if she would capsize. It did not soothe 
our feelings much to learn that there was a quantity of dy- 
namite stored in the hold. Referring to the heavy rolling 
of the transport, I recall a group of officers sitting in the 
saloon of the boat waiting for orders to land. The old boat 
would roll from side to side with a cradle-like motion until 
her rails almost touched the water. Everything not fastened 
down was thrown in all directions. Suddenly she began to 
pitch and roll and the glass-ware on the sideboard came 
crashing down. I was seated in a chair which was screwed 
to the floor, but so Sudden was the lurch that the chair was 
torn from the floor and I found myself hurled clear across 
the saloon. Before I could pick myself up I was thrown to 
the other side. I remember seeing a fellow going down a 
ladder with a dish-pan full of Irish stew. The boat gave a 
sudden lurch and he lost his footing and fell. You can per- 
haps imagine the condition of things within twenty feet of 
w"here the dish-pan landed. The boats from the "Massachu- 
setts" came for us and it was a very difficult matter to keep 
the boats near enough to our transport for the men to jump 
into them. 

We had many narrow escapes that day. Finally the boat 
in which I landed was filled with men and pulled away 
from the "vSeneca." We could not row ashore but waited to 
be towed in by launches. The launch that was to take our 
boat went off without seeing us, and so we tossed up and 




I. Private R. J. Snow. 2. I'rivatc I,. S. Si'mmhn 

4. Private J. J. Sullivan. 6. Private J. Tliyiu-, Ju. 

7. Private K. A. Van Pktkrsilgi;. S. Private II. .\. Watson. 



T,. Private K. STocKiirK<;i:R. 
6. Private A. II. rN<;Kicii. 
9. Privntf 1". I-:. Wii.i.iAMs. 



CO. L, 2ND REG.. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 27 



down waiting for its return. I never saw men so ill from 
seasickness in my life. Finally our signal was .seen and we 
were towed in towards the rough coast. It was as hard land- 
ing as it was getting into the boats, but we finally all got 
.safely ashore. Others lost their lives later in making this 
landing. 

Here I saw the first and only wounded Cuban I saw dur- 
ing the campaign. He was a poor, inoffensive native, who 
had been hit by a shell from one of our battleships and lost 
his arm. The inhabitants here were very kind and hospita- 
ble. Here we got our first cocoanuts and saw some of the 
natural beauties of the island ; such magnificent palms and 
rank tropical growth I had never seen before. The mount- 
ains, too, were grand, raising their heads away up in the 
clouds. It surprised me to learn that many of these peaks 
were higher than our own White Mountains. Another pecul- 
iarity, but not an attractive one, about these high peaks, 
was that nearly every one of them was surmounted by a 
Spanish block-house. 

These block-houses are rather interesting to look over 
(after they are in your possession.) They look something 
like a Chinese pagoda and not unlike a signal station, or 
switch house on our large railroad .systems. They are some- 
times made of stone, but more frequently of wood. They 
are boarded inside and out and between these boards are 
filled with stones and gravel. Loop holes are left at fre- 
quent intervals, and on the whole they make a very formi- 
dable fort. I remember seeing the American flag rai.sed at 
Daiquiri. The m.en sent to raise it had to climb a high peak 
overlooking the harbor. It was a long, tedious climb up the 
narrow, winding pass, but they finally reached the top and 
took down the Spanish flag and hoisted the American flag 
in its place. As the stars and stripes proudly fluttered in 
the breeze, the war ships saluted with their guns, and the 



28 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

transports blew their whistles, and one could not but feel 
proud that he was an American. During the bombardment 
and landing-, the band on our boat played that familiar tune, 
"There will be a hot time in the old town to-night." 

We secured pieces of this flag captured at Daiquiri and 
keep them now as souvenirs of the occasion. The iron 
railroad bridge at this point, as well as the shacks and other 
buildings, showed signs of the terrific bombardment from our 
fleet. A block-house at Daiquiri was burning when we 
landed and a quantity of ammunition destroyed, which was 
evidenced by the constant explosion of cartridges. Lieuten- 
ant Field made friends with a poor German woman who had 
married a Cuban, and came back with proofs of her hospital- 
ity in the material shape of a bottle of wine and some fruit. 
The condition and suffering of some of these Cuban families 
was most deplorable. Their poor emaciated bodies, reduced 
to mere skin and bones and covered with a few rags, showed 
but too plainly the results of Spanish misrule and oppres- 
sion. Scenes of almost indescribable suffering are recorded 
in the reconcentrado districts and devastated portions of the 
island. Our stay here was of short duration. At one time 
it looked as if we might be attached to the Eighth United 
States Regulars, and as senior officer present, I was ordered 
to proceed with the Eighth with the four Companies landed. 
Just before starting I was informed the "Knickerbocker" 
was in sight and 1 would wait for Colonel Clark. I have no 
doubt this delay kept the Eighth and a part of the Second 
from being in the fight at La Guasima. 

At Daiquiri, I was ordered to furnish a Company for scout- 
ing purposes, and I detailed Company E, the Orange Com- 
pany, for this duty. I was also ordered to furnish a detail 
for engineer work and selected the men from L Company. 
One of these men, Mus. Murphy, a splendid campaigner and 
one of the most popular boys in Company L, found in an 




I. Private C. P. Wilson. 2. PrivatL- II. .\. Wisi;. ,;. Private II. I.. Whokxkk 

4. Private O. Zeigler. 5. Servant J. Stakk. 

6, 7, 8. AS THE BOYS I.OOKKD ON THHIk KKTIKN. 



CO. L, 2XD REG. M.\SS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 29 



abandoned block-house, a map or chart of the country around 
and including Santiago. Quick witted and with good judg- 
ment, he reported the find to the engineer officer in charge. 
He was complimented b\' this officer, whom I think was 
Lieutenant Colonel McDerby, and informed it was a valua- 
ble find and would be of great service to the Commanding 
General. He took the man's name and organization and I 
supposed he would at least be mentioned in general orders, 
but he never was, and like many another man who has ren- 
dered good service, he was overlooked. 

He came back with a machette he found in the block-house 
and was envied by the other men until they met with equal 
success. I was ordered to furnish a guard to report to Lieu- 
tenant Rees to guard engineer property at the wharf, and 
Corporal Denison and Privates Arnold and Bangs were de- 
tailed for this work. 

SIBONEY. 

We camped that night not far from Siboney and ne.xt day 
entered the town. We nearly overtook the Spaniards and 
so hasty was their retreat that they left their breakfast cook- 
ing on the fires. I was in command of the Second battalion 
at this camp and I detailed Lieutenant Field to have charge 
of posting the outposts around our camp. This was import- 
ant duty and it is needless to say that it was done well. 

Here again the ingenuity of the volunteer was brought in- 
to play. We captured two locomotives, among other things, 
and found that the Spaniards, in their haste had but par- 
tially dismantled them. They threw away, or buried a few 
parts, but these were found and a Second Regiment man, a 
skilled machinist, assembled the parts and soon had the en- 
gine fired up. It must have been galling in the extreme for 
the Spaniards up in the mountains to hear the whistle and 



30 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

the rolling noise of the locomotive as she was steamed up 
and down on a half-mile track. 

Siboney, or better known as "Crab City" by the boys, was 
a quaint old place. The Cubans were poor, but kindly dis- 
posed and hospitable. Their homes generally were merely 
thatched huts. The floors are of natural clay soil. Some of 
them at this place were more pretentious, owing to its being 
a mining and lumber town, the industries largely being run 
by American capital. Some of their huts were without fur- 
niture, cooking utensils or other conveniences, and only with 
mere heaps of cast-off clothing or rags for beds. These un- 
happy creatures subsist on native fruits for the most part. 

We had to be very careful about eating the fruits com- 
mon to the island. Mangos could be eaten, but caused a 
fever if eaten in large quantities and with liquors. The 
liquors would cause fermentation and sickness was sure 
to follow. Pineapples were considered unhealthy and limes 
had to be indulged in sparingly. We saw very few bananas, 
as it was not the season for them. I remember the dish of 
rice boiled with cocoanut and filled with raisins prepared for 
me by a Senorita. It was fine, compared to the bacon and 
hard tack we were living upon. Their coffee, too,, was deli- 
cious, and one old lady who had been a danseuse in her 
younger days and travelled in this country, was so delighted 
by a few commonplace compliments paid her, that she in- 
sisted upon furnishing me with a cigar, the duplicate of one 
she was smoking. 

Did you ever see a land crab? They range in size from a 
ten cent piece to a good sized lobster. It is a delightful sen- 
sation to wake up and find one of these repulsive crustace- 
ans crawling over you. They are harmless, and, we learned, 
were good eating, but there is something so creepy, crawly 
and repulsive about them as they click, click over the ground, 
crawling backward as rapidly as forward, that I should in- 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. IXF'V, U. S. V 



deed be hungry to try my appetite on one of them. The 
spiders and scorpions, too, were nightmares to us. The 
Cubans show absohitely a lack of fear for the tanmtula. 
called by them "aranya pelour," and with perfect nonchal- 
ance pick them up with their fingers, grasping them by the 
fat thorax. The fangs of this long hairy spider are beneath 
the body and when held by the thora.x they are powerless. 
The scorpion called by the Cubans "alakran," is in no .sense 
deadly poisonous, but their sting is quite painful; neverthe- 
less, the Cuban boys pick them up by their business end 
without slightest fear of injury. You see them everywhere 
and every stone has one or more under it. The centipede 
is dreaded above all. It is called by the natives "cien pies" 
— hundred feet. They grow to great size, sometimes as long 
as eight inches. They are very hard to capture and when 
disturbed, scurry away with the speed of a railroad train. 
The chameleon is seen everywhere, and with its ever chang- 
ing colors, is beautiful to look at. I have .seen and killed a 
great many spiders as large as 3'our hand stretched out with 
fingers and thumb extended. The colored soldiers dug them 
out of the ground and had fights between them. 

They were as great fighters as the colored troops them- 
selves, and never ended the contest until one or both were 
killed. I had the experience of being stung by a scorpion 
and it is not a pleasant sensation I assure you. I remem- 
ber waking up one night and finding one of those monster 
spiders crawling over me. It made as much noise as a rat 
would, as it scurried away over the Lieutenant sleeping with 
me in the tent. Perhaps I didn't perform a somer.sault out 
of that tent that would have done credit to an acrobat. I 
hustled the Lieutenant out and we lighted a candle and 
hunted for the monster. We took down the tent before we 
found it, and I pledge you my word of honor it was .so large 
it could not get into a two quart tomato can, but sat with its 



32 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



legs spreading over the sides, while its body rested upon the 
sugar in the can. 

We killed it and retired to dream of hunting elephants, 
tigers, and other large game. I remember being aroused 
suddenly from my slumbers the night we spent at Siboney. 
I thought for a moment I had been hit by a Spanish shell, 
but Lieutenant Mason, who was sleeping with me, apologized 
for thus rudely awakening me. He said he had awakened 
suddenly from some noise, and saw perched upon me one of 
those lobster looking crabs and had struck at it with his hat 
and hit me instead. 

The men accidently discovered a lot of wine and stores 
left by the Spaniards and helped themselves quite liberally 
before the officers learned of the discovery. I remember 
some griddle cakes made by the boys out of linseed meal 
they had found. They had the consistency of stove-lids and 
resembled them not a little when fried. The beach at Sib- 
oney was very .sandy and the opportunities for bathing were 
good. The approach from the ocean was much better than 
at Daiquiri, and the large transports could come in quite 
near to the landing. The horses and mules were lowered 
into the water and headed for the shore. Occasionally one 
would get headed out to sea and in many cases it was im- 
possible to get them to go towards the coast, and they would 
drown. From this cau.se and the results of sickness the 
beach was strewn with the dead bodies of these animals. 

ENGAGEMENT AT LA GUASIMA. 

It was while bathing in the surf at this place that I saw 
some of the wounded Rough Riders who had been brought 
back from the .scene of the battle at "La Guasima." One of 
them had four bullet wounds through different portions of 
his body. We were hurriedly rationed and when I tell you 
that we received four days rations at this time, you can im- 



CO. L, 2ND REG. M.\SS. INF'V, U. S. V. 33 



agine what each man had to carry in addition to hi.s other 
equipments and luggage. They issued tomatoes in two-quart 
cans, and many of the boys had to throw them away or give 
them to the Cubans, because they could not carry them over 
the rough, steep mountain trail. 

The Second was left to guard the town and the Eighth 
and Twenty-second were pushed ahead to reinforce the col- 
ored troops and Rough Riders. We could hear the crack, 
crack of the rifles away up in the mountains and knew there 
was an engagement on. We were hurried along later, and 
reached the scene of the battle of a few hours previous, just 
at dusk. I shall never forget that scene. It was our first 
experience of the results of battle. It is not the worst part 
of army life to face bullets, but to see the sufferings of 
men around you. It was a sad sight which met our gaze. 
Stretched upon the ground were our dead, numbering six- 
teen, all told. The colored boys were burying their dead as 
we reached La Guasima. All around were the wounded, 
and some suffering terribly. We pitched our camp quite 
late in the evening and the boys were obliged to put up their 
little shelter tents in the dark. These little shelters were 
onh' six by six and three feet high. Each man carried one- 
half tent and poles in his roll. Two men wonld assemble 
their parts, button the light weight canvas at top and one 
side and crawl in for the night. The hummocks, stones and 
hollows were on intimate, if not ea.sy, terms with the body 
and the boys .soon got accustomed to the.se little hardships. 

The Rough Riders were without food, and my men gave 
them nearly all the rations they had. I remember going 
over the battlefield next morning early, with Major Whipple. 
That any were left to tell the tale is a marvel to me. The 
trees were riddled with bullets. Do you know the effect of 
a mauser bullet on a good sized tree? Well, it will go clean 
through it. We came acro.ss the body of a "Spanish guer- 



34 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



ilia," which had been neglected and unburied. The Cubans 
hate them so they will not bury them. Private Bangs be- 
came badly strained on this march and the next morning a 
detail was obliged to carry him back to Siboney. It was a 
hard job, and the detail suffered much in getting him back. 
They finally got some Cubans to help them out and landed 
him in the hospital at Siboney. He did not join us again 
but was sent back to the vStates. The detail lost all their 
rolls, etc., on this trip. They were so burdened with the 
heavy rolls and their human freight that they conceived the 
idea of burying their shelter tents, blankets, etc. The thiev- 
ing Cubans nosed out their hiding place and took everything. 
This detail consisted of the following men: Privates Coates, 
Lague, Lanois and Spaulding. It was about this time I first 
saw General Joe Wheeler. He is a very active, genial and 
lovable man. I recall his kindly greeting to me and his 
thoughtful inquiry regarding the welfare of my men. 

We pushed on from here and finally camped in line of bat- 
tle formation a few leagues from Santiago. While camped 
here we tried our luck fishing in the brook which flowed 
peacefully by our camp. A couple of regulars had tried to 
hook a fish, resembling our rock cod, with a pin fastened to 
a long string. One of the boys loaned me a fishhook and 
line and I hooked the fish through the body and got him 
out. Our mess had a taste of fried iish for supper. Private 
Kingston tried his luck later and secured several fairly good 
fish for his pains. It was here that the detail left on board 
the "Seneca" to guard our property and see it safely landed, 
reported. 

' The following is an account of the experiences of the de- 
tail left on board the "Seneca" as reported to me by Quarter- 
master Sergeant Salisbury: 
Captain ¥. E. Pierce: — 

Sir, — On the morning of June 22nd, when the troops were ordered 



CO. L, 2ND REC. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 35 



to make a landing at Daiquiri, they carried rolls, haversacks, can- 
teens, belts and rifles, leaving knapsacks on the boat. They were 
also ordered to carry "three days' rations." Hy feeding the men 
on short rations since being on the boat we had managed to have a 
limited quantity of canned meat left, which they took, together 
with all the hard-tack they could carry; of this latter lu.xury there 
were several boxes remaining. When the Company disembarkeil 1 
was ordered, as you know, to remain in charge of a detail of two 
men. Privates Anderson and Patnode, and Servant Stark, to look 
after the Company property left there, consisting of rations, knap- 
sacks and the personal baggage of the officers, i remember a huge 
lump arose in my throat about that time and it was an extremely 
hard thing to swallow. I must admit that it was a bitter disappoint- 
ment to be left aboard the transport and see the rest of the boys 
going ashore, but it was an order, so that settled it. That night 
was the dreariest one I have ever spent. About six o'clock, just 
before dark, one of the transports discovered a United States flag 
being raised away up on top of one of the mountains on a block- 
house, and it would be hard to imagine a more deafening noise than 
that which came from the whistles of all the boats in the harbor. 
The next day the quarters of the different Companies were cleaned 
by the details left in charge, which included at least twenty-five 
regulars, non-commissioned officers and privates. After this we 
were given an opportunity to look over our remaining food, etc.. 
which included a large quantity of hard-tack, flour, sugar and coffee, 
and four dozen cans Cleveland's Baking Powder. We immediately 
made friends with the regulars left with us, and as they had a cook 
with them we arranged to eat with one of their Company details, 
contributing our share of the food, of such as we had, and have it 
all cooked together. We had all we wanted to eat during that 
week, our bill-of-fare including hot tomato soup and griddlecakes. 
Of course we had had no fresh milk for some time, not since we left 
Framingham, and we had secured condensed milk since then only 
as we bought it. The cook, however, had supplied himself with 
three cans of this latter luxury before leaving the States, and having 
disposed of one can, the two remaining were left on the boat. This 
was of course a most happy discovery, and I must confess that ;i 
meal including condensed milk in our coffee nearly made us believe 
we were dining in a first-class hotel somewhere in our own country. 
The two men of my detail, Anderson and Patnode, helped one of 
the ship's mess cooks, and so got most of their meals with the crew. 
Servant Stark ate with the "condensed milk squad." We soon 
came to enjoy ourselves to a certain degree on the boat. During 



36 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



the week as we cruised back and forth along on the coast we saw a 
good deal of the bombarding of the coast by the war vessels. On 
Friday night we were ordered to go down to a point some distance 
below Santiago, where some of the Cuban army were assembled, and 
bring them up to where the American forces had landed. We took 
on several hundred men, and 1 made up my mind then and there 
never again to discredit any stories I might hear about destitution 
in the Cuban army. If one of the men owned a shirt and panta- 
loons at the same time he was lucky. Many of them had nothing 
but a cloth around them. In place of canteens, for carrying water, 
some of them had cocoanut shells with a small hole in one end with 
a cord attached, others had a sort of cup made of the same mate- 
rial, and still others carried large whiskey bottles in their hands, 
having no way to fasten them to anything. For haversacks some 
had woven straw bags or sacks, similar to the covering to tea- 
chests shipped from wholesale dealers to grocery stores, and others 
had bran sacks or parts of them, while many had none at all. 
Their rifles were nearly all what we would consider unserviceable; 
there were "Remingtons," "Lees" and "Springfields," all so old and 
rusty that if an American soldier were to use one it would surely put 
a black-and-blue spot on his shoulder, but the Cubans were so dark 
I don't suppose they saw anything of that kind. The ofificers were 
dressed somewhat better than the enlisted men, each one wearing 
an ill-fitting thin crash suit. Nearly all of the men carried machettes, 
all rusty and dull, which was evidenced by the fact that as soon as 
they boarded the boat and discovered that there was a grind-stone 
aboard they made a rush for it, keeping it busy for several hours. 
They were continually jabbering in their native tongue and making 
all sorts of signs to the Americans. The Cuban soldier is dark 
skinned, but not generally as dark as the American negro, although 
there were many of them in whom African blood was much in evi- 
dence, for they were very large and black. There was at least 
one officer in the force who was an Englishman, and he was taken 
by an American soldier to the ship's mess room and treated to a 
good meal, which, according to the officer's story, was the only 
good one he had had for nearly three years. It had taken some 
hours to load them and when they were finally gotten up on deck 
we started back toward Santiago for Siboney. At supper time that 
night our officers supplied them with several boxes of hard-tack, 
which they ate ravenously. Before we had started, one of them 
had been fishing over the side of the boat and had caught several 
large red-and-silver fish which he and some of his comrades ate 
raw. There were, of course, some cases of sickness among them; 




-I 

4 



i 



CO. L, 2ND KEC. MASS. IXl'v. U. S. V. },y 



one ill particular, that of a yomig man, presumably about twenty- 
three years of age, who had a gaping wound in the back of his foot 
in the cords just above his heel, made by a piece of Spanish shell 
some days before; this wound had received no care, blootl-pois(jn- 
ing had set in and he was about at the point of death; our surgeons 
could do nothing for him, he was so far gone; his face presented a 
horrible sight. But in the main, these soldiers seemed a happy and 
contented lot, laughing and talking continually and evidently not 
thinking it much of a hardship to put up with scanty clothing in a 
Aof country. We were awakened the next morning by their bugler 
sounding the call. He was evidently a fine player; never have ! 
heard an American bugler play a more beautiful strain, or with any 
more correctness. Nearly all their officers carried revolvers and 1 
tried to swap mine to an officer for the one he carried; it was of 
Spanish make, nickel-plated, with pearl handle studded with stones; 
he only smiled and shook his head. We arrived at Sibuney about 
seven o'clock the next morning, Sunday, and the landing of the 
Cubans began at once, being done in the same way that the Ameri- 
can troops landed the week before at Daiquiri, small boats being 
sent from the war ships, five or six tied end to end with ropes, 
drawn by a steam launch and manned by the sailors. We finally 
succeeded in getting them ashore. Two young officers of the bat- 
tleship Massachusetts came on the Seneca with a message for the 
Captain of the boat and 1 heard one remark, as he passed through 
our Company quarters, "What must life on a transport be!" and 1 
was forced to agree with his sentiments. Our boat then went 
back to Daiquiri, the first landing place, where we stayed for a 
few days. One morning I went on shore with the Quartermaster in 
charge, Lieutenant Lindsey of the Eighth Regulars, and had my 
first experience in Cuba. The ground seemed to heave and rock, 
just like the motion of the ship, so that at first 1 was hardly able 
to keep my balance; and how hot it was! It was simply stilling, 
the sand, rocks and dense growth of vegetation throwing back the 
heat in an immense degree. I was glad to get back to the boat 
and have a good fresh breeze and 1 must say that my ardor for 
landing in Cuba with the troops was somewhat dampened. One of 
the regular sergeants on board went on shore with Lieutenant Lind- 
say one day during that week and disappeared, having gone into 
the interior trying to find his regiment. He came back two days 
afterwards and was immediately put under arrest for desertion. 
But according to his own story, he had seen the fight at La C'.uasi- 
ma, and he certainly gave an account of it that agrees with the 
articles written by correspondents present. At noon, the jSth of 



38 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



June, the order came to our boat for all our soldiers and stevedores 
to disembark and join their regiment at once, at the front, leaving 
the Company property on the transport without guard. This made 
us happy, and I can safely say that we were not long in getting our 
personal luggage together preparatory to quite a change in pro- 
gram. We were transferred to a Lighter at Daiquiri and conveyed 
down to Siboney, where we were landed in boats rowed by natives 
from the town. The day beft^re, Private Brassor came back from 
the regiment to the Seneca with mail for us who were on the detail, 
and as luck would have it. he arrived just before our landing, so we 
had a guide to where the regiment was stationed, several miles 
from Siboney. We began our journey to the -front, immediately on 
landing, about six o'clock at night, taking the trail leading under 
the railroad bridge and back some distance inland. This trail was 
in miserable condition, having been hastily built by our engineers 
for the passage of the troops, and at places was impassable, so we 
had to cut through the jungle at the side; we occasionally met a 
stray Cuban soldier, finally arriving at the gulch at La Guasima, 
the scene of the engagement of the 24th between the Rough Riders 
and the colored troops and the Spaniards. The enemy had been 
driven over this trail across the ravine, and after we had arrived 
on the opposite hill we turned off the trail a few steps to the right 
and found the graves of seven of the Rough Riders and one Cuban 
soldier or Spanish guerilla, who had been killed in that fight, one 
of them being Sergeant Hamilton Fish of New York. This made 
us realize a little more that we were in the enemy's country and 
that we were likely to see things unlocked for. A little farther on 
we came to the camps of the American troops. During the trip, we 
had stopped to rest two or three times, and in the pitch dark, we 
could hear soldiers singing that piece so familiar to us then, "Enjoy 
yourselves," and a little later my suspicions were confirmed when we 
found that the singers were of our own regiment and Company. 
We received many warm greetings in the camp and 1 know that I 
voice the feeling of the rest of the detail when I say that it seemed 
almost like arriving home; we were ready for any kind of fun then, 
so long as we could ourselves partake of it 
Respectfully, 

Alston G. Salisbury, 

Q. M. Sgt., L Co., U. S. V. 

This detail had been ordered off the boat and without ac- 
complishing the purpose for which they were left behind. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 39 



My servant, Stark, did have presence of mind enoujrh to brin^ 
along- my grip, and its contents proved of much value later 
on. I found a cigar in the grip, and lighting it, walked up 
through the regimental lines. We had had no tobacco, and 
I recall the looks of curiosity from the men as I strolled along 
smoking my cigar. The officers nearly mobbed me. but I 
enjoyed the cigar nevertheless. 

Tobacco became so scarce that one man offered S42.50. all 
the money he had, for a pound bag, and found no takers for 
his money. One of my men, knowing I had a couple of 
pipesful of tobacco, informed me he knew where he could 
get a lot of hard-tack for it. We were very short of rations 
at the time, so I gave him the tobacco. 

He came back with 184 hard-tack, for which he had ex- 
changed the tobacco. It proved to be a case of "Cast your 
bread upon the waters," for one of the boys, not a smoker, 
knowing my weakness, gave me a bag full, which proved t(j 
be much better than that I had exchanged. 

General S., sitting at the side of the road as the troops 
were passing, with nothing about his uniform to designate 
his rank, spoke sharply to some stragglers. One of the men 
inquired of his neighbor who that was, "I don't know," .said 
his friend, "But he must be a Major-General. for he is smt)k- 
ing a cigar." This same General was strolling about the 
streets of Santiago shortly after its surrender, paying no par- 
ticular attention to those he met. He was dressed similarly 
to a private soldier, with slouch hat and blue shirt, and with 
no insignia of his rank upon his clothes. 

A young Lieutenant, who had been graduated several 
months before his time, owing to the scarcity of officers at the 
outbreak of the war, met the General, and not recognizing 
him, called him to task for not saluting an officer. He said, 
"My man, what do you mean by not saluting your superiors. 



40 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

take the position of a soldier ; heels together, feet spread 
apart, now salute." 

The General did as requested and the Lieutenant requested 
him to give his name and organization, and threatened to re- 
port him if he ever found him remiss in courtesy again. 
The General, with a twinkle m his eyes, said, '"I am Samuel 
S., Brigadier-General in command of the Cavalry troops 
around Santiago." The feelings of the subaltern can be ap- 
preciated as he hastily saluted, and bolted from the presence 
of his superior officer. 

It was quite near this camp that the observation balloon- 
went up. Wire cutters of an obsolete pattern were issued 
here. Each Company had two, and Privates Cornell and 
Smead were detailed to handle them. "Wire cutters to the 
front," was a common order heard all along the lines when 
we were marching through the country, as there were in- 
numerable barbed wire fences encountered everywhere. In 
fact, that was about the only kind of fence we .saw on the Is- 
land. 

THE BATTLE OF EL CANEY. 

Finally the time came for us to advance. You who have 
faced death and know the sound of the minie ball or the ping 
of the mauser, can appreciate a man's feelings as he enters 
action. We had tramped through the mud, and forded sev- 
eral streams before we were finally ordered to bivouac for 
the night. How well I recall that last night before the battle 
of "El Caney." It was about ten o'clock, I think, when we 
halted from our march over the boulder-strewn trail, and we 
were tired, almost beyond endurance. The roads were in 
fearful condition, and the black, cement-like mud clung to 
our shoes with the tenacity of glue. We had to cross several 
swollen streams, and we were consequently soaking wet. 1 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INK V, U. S. V. 4 1 

remember oiir Major decided he would keep his feet dry, 
and at the first stream took off his shoes and stockings and 
waded through to the other side. He put on his footwear, and 
walked perhaps a hundred feet and found another mountain 
river to cross and decided it was too much bother to change 
so often, so waded in like the rest of us. Wc met hundreds 
of poor half starved, ragged men, women and children going 
to the rear from Santiago and El Caney. 

The lights of Santiago could be distinctly seen in the di.s- 
tance, and it seemed as if we must be on the out.skirts of the 
city. But we had to face the enemy, entrenched and forti- 
fied at El Caney and on the San Juan Hills, before Santiago 
could be captured. 

We had met countless Cubans and refugees going to the 
rear. The former would grin, and to whatever we might 
say they would invariably answer back. "Santiago, bo(un- 
boom !" It was their way of telling us they knew Santiago 
was to be bombarded. 

How well I remember poor Charlie Field, as brave and 
conscientious to duty in the field as he was in everything 
else which he undertook. We laid down together in the tall, 
wet grass, and with the bright stars twinkling above us, 
were soon fast asleep. A single rifle shot aroused us, but it 
was probably an accidental shot from one of our outposts, and 
we were soon back to sleep again. It seemed but a few min- 
utes before we were arou.sed and found it was nearly four 
o'clock. No fires had been allowed, and not even a match 
could be lighted. We were disgusted when we found the 
country around us dotted with the camp-fires of the Regulars. 

On account of the darkness or .some misunderstanding in 
orders, the First battalion got under way without our bat- 
talion Commander noticing its departure. I .sent back word 
that I thought it had proceeded, but I was notified that I 
would hold my Company until ordered to march. This was 



42 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

a serious delay and resulted in keeping back the Third, and 
one Company of the Second battalion, as these rear Com- 
panies were halted near Capron's battery, to enable the bat- 
tery to open fire on the town. L, M, and E Companies, how- 
ever, got by, and we soon overtook the vanguard of our 
Regiment. We left the road and hurried on through the 
tall grass, tangled weeds and chaparral, tearing our hands 
and clothing as we pushed our way to our position. It 
seemed as if every bush and shrub was covered with sharp 
projections, and the Spanish cactus was sharp as bayonets. 
To add to our troubles we encountered innumerable barbed 
wire fences, and it was no easy task to cut your way through 
with but two obsolete wire cutters issued to each Compan}^ 
It was necessary to throw out flankers, so dense was the un- 
dergrowth, to insure our position and warn us of any attempt 
to ambush or the approach of the enemy. These flankers 
were Privates Coates, Frost, Spaulding and one other. Com- 
panies L and M were designated for the firing line in our 
battalion. 

Finally we were ordered to throw off our rolls and I was 
ordered to conduct my Company to a certain position. We 
left my servant. Stark, in charge of the rolls, and he guarded 
them as religiously as though he had been an enlisted man 
and a member of the Company. It was no easy task, for he 
had to fight off the thieving Cubans and occasionally a bullet 
would whiz over in his direction, causi ag anything but a 
feeling of comfort and security. 

We had proceeded but a short distance before we were or- 
dered by another officer to a different position, and hardly 
had we started in the new direction before we found our- 
selves in the thick of the fight, in the open, with but lit- 
tle to screen us from the watchful eyes of the enemy. We 
were directly in the zone of fire and the only protection af- 
forded us was the tangled undergrowth and a few spreading 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INK'V, U. S. V. 



43 



palm.s and mang:os. Sometime previous to this, Capron's 
battery opened on the town and soon the crack, cnick .^f 
musketry could be heard all along the lines. 

The Spaniards were not slow in returnin<j^ our tire and the 
engagement soon became general. As I previously stated, 
we were in the engagement almost before we knew it. We 
lost several men wounded before we realized our position. 
Private De Revere was the first man hit. A bullet struck 
his rifle, glancing off and penetrated his hand, crippling the 
tw-o middle fingers of his left hand. With the blood stream- 
ing from his wound he started towards the rear. He was 
met by our Major who inquired in his gruff way where he 
was going. De Revere showed him his hand and the Major 
told him to go back to the hospital and have it dressed. 

Private Schiller was hit near by. He was evidently just 
raising himself from the position of lying down when a bul- 
let penetrated his chest in a slanting direction, coming out 
of his side several inches below. I examined his wound 
later as he lay in the roadbed and remembering one of the 
principles of "First aid to the wounded," required the wound 
to bleed externally, and as I could see no indication at first 
of outward hemorrhage, I thought I should have to open the 
wound before the surgeon arrived on the .scene, but after 
examination I found the wound where the bullet came out 
was bleeding freely. As he lay there with flushed cheeks, 
red lips and smiling face, cheerful through it all. he presented 
the picture of perfect health and vigor. It was a rare case, 
as the shock from being hit by a bullet usually blanches the 
cheeks and lips, and gives the features a drawn and pinched 
appearance. 

Private Cornell was also wounded at this position before 
crossing the sunken road. He was hit in the chest, the bul- 
let penetrating one of the shoulderblades. He took the sit- 
uation philosophically, and bore the pain with fortitude. I 



44 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

missed him very much later on, as he had been of material 
assistance to me,bein^ a carpenter by trade, and always will- 
ing and ready to be detailed for any work in his line. 

But we pushed on through the tall grass across a sunken 
roadbed, and lying down, began firing. Hardly had the 
smoke from our Springfields begun to rise before we re- 
ceived such a shower of bullets that it seemed at one time as 
if the Company must be wiped out of existence. I remem- 
ber kneeling in the grass and discussing the situation with 
Lieutenant Field. We both agreed that our position must 
be changed or our loss would be terrible. I decided to get 
permission from our Major to change our posirion where we 
could have some protection from the fusillade of mausers, 
pinging and cracking all about us. 

I crossed the field and found the Major, who at once or- 
dered us to a different position. I hastened back to where I 
had left Lieutenant Field and yelled at top of my voice for 
him to take his platoon to a position in the sunken road lead- 
ing to the main road towards El Caney. The noise was ter- 
rific, and not until I had nearly reached the spot where I had 
left the Lieutenant did I manage to hear one of my men 
hollering that he thought the Lieutenant was wounded 
where I had left him but a moment before. 

I hurried to the spot and found poor Field. He had 
pitched forward on his hands and knees and I saw that he 
was badly wounded. A bullet had struck him in the left 
eyebrow and came out at top of his head. I tried to carry 
him to a safer spot but found I had not the strength, but 
some of my men came to my assistance and carried him to 
the roadbed. He only lived a minute or so, and I never 
wish to pass through such an experience again. Put your- 
self in my position. I had known Lieutenant Field and 
been associated with him in a military way for more than 
ten years. Never had a hard word passed between us in all 



Il 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'v, U. S. V. 



45 



that time. Obedient to commands, always, and ever ready for 
any duty assigned him, he won the respect of all he came in 
contact with. Ready to take commands himself, he expected 
and insisted upon those under him doing likewi.se. 

Let me record right here I was proud of my men that day. 
They behaved like Regulars, and I know of no greater 
honor than to have been their Captain. Officers and men 
alike, I was proud of them. General Ludlow had a hor.se 
shot under him and one of my men was sent to take the 
saddle and bridle from the animal. It would take too long 
for me to attempt to chronicle all the brave deeds they per- 
formed that day. There was many a clo.se call from death. 

Private Wilson was burned on the hand by a bullet. Pri- 
vate Ungrich received a bullet clean across his breast, going 
through his canteen strap, blou.se and two shirts, and not 
touching his skin. He slipped down from the bank beside 
the roadbed and stood there in a sort of dazed condition. 
Lieutenant Mason in command of .second platoon to which 
Ungrich belonged, saw him and asked him what was troul)- 
ling him. "I don't know." said Ungrich. "but I think I am 
hit." "I guess not," .said the Lieutenant, "work your arms 
up and down." The man did as he was told, and the Lieu- 
tenant, seeing it was only a close call, ordered him back to 
his position, where he went without a murmur. 

Private Cook had a ball pa.ss between his arm and breast. 
Private Breslin received a bullet on the breast-plate to his 
belt, glancing down and .scooping out the lead from a car- 
tridge in his belt. Private Spaulding's drinking cup was 
perforated by a mauser. He threw it away because, as he 
said, it would not hold water. Had it been mine I would 
not have taken $1000 for it. 

Time and again I had to scold my men for needlessly e.\- 
pcsing themselves to the fire of the enemy. Private Thyne 
(poor fellow, he died before we left Santiago) was a pictur- 



46 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

esque sight with a red bandanna handkerchief wound around 
his head. He would insist upon standing up when he fired, 
because, as he said, he could see better. Narrow escapes 
were not all we had to contend with. 

Artificer Ariel was shot through the fleshy part of the 
thigh in one leg near the body. He was sent back wnth the 
other wounded men to the temporary hospital. The spot 
where he was wounded seemed to be a particularly danger- 
ous one, as I saw several officers and men hit in that imme- 
diate vicinity. 

In the meantime, nearly a whole squad of my Company 
got separated from us. These men were Sergeant Thomas 
D. Murphy, Corporals Lobdell and Class, and Privates Barnes, 
W. P. H. Davis and Williams. The noise and confusion 
was so great they evidently did not hear the orders for 
changing our position. I hastened to where I had last seen 
them but could not locate them, and it was not until several 
hours afterwards I found they were safe and mixed up with 
other organizations, on the firing line of the first battalion. 
It has been said that the Second Regiment was withdrawn 
from action early in the day, but this is not so, for aside 
from a cessation of fires by volleys early in the fight, the 
Companies on the firing line kept up a desultory and indiv- 
idual fire throughout the entire action. 

I recall our Major coming to me and saying, "Pierce, let's you 
and I go up to the left of the line.'" I went with him, and as 
we walked along the bullets would occasionally come pretty 
near, and zip and ping as they went by or over our heads. I 
found I had a tendency to dodge or keep covered when I 
had a chance, but the Major, who is a very large man, walked 
along as unconcerned as could be. I warned him about 
exposing himself, but he laughed and said, if he was going 
to be hit, he would be. It was shortly after this that the 
colof'ed regulars made their charge and took a block-house. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS INF'Y, U. S. V. 47 



The Major and I were behind a tree, and lookin,i( throuj^h 
a g-lass, when suddenly we saw the Spaniards begin to climb 
out of their trenches and retreat. Our men mowed them 
down like grass as they tried to make their escape towards 
Santiago. The battle of "ElCaney" was over, but it had lasted 
nine and one-half hours. If this battle was to be fought 
over I feel sure that the artillery would play a more import- 
ant part than it" did, and the batteries would have been 
planted nearer our position, where they would have done 
more execution. It had been planned to take El Caney in 
a half hour, and then our division was to proceed towards 
San Juan and attack the enemy on the flank while the other 
division engaged them in front; but the day was far spent 
when our first battle was over, and the men were tired al- 
most beyond endurance. I have often thought, and still 
think, if our brigade commander had ordered us to charge 
the block-houses and entrenchments of the enemy we would 
not have lost any more men, if as many ; we could have 
saved much valuable time, and established a reputation and 
name for our brigade which would have been second to none. 
I remember some of the colored troops passing us as we 
were resting by the roadside. Some of them were pretty 
badly used up, but they had lost none of the dash and good 
nature so characteristic in them. "Hello, you Second Regi- 
ment fellows, what do you think of that for a charge?" was 
their familiar greeting as they swung by us. They had 
every reason to be proud of their work that day. 

I heard a story (I cannot vouch for its being authentic) 
how a negro soldier bagged a Spanish sharpshooter that day. 
It seems that while some officers were standing under a 
tree one of them was hit by a bullet from a sharpshooter 
hidden in a tree not far off. His brother officers had called 
to the colored soldier to help carry him off the field. He 
started towards them but suddenly halted and shaded his 



48 CO. L, 2NU MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

eyes with his hand, peering into the branches of a large 
mango. Suddenly he raised his piece to his shoulder and 
a voice from the tree yelled, "Cubana, Cubana, no Espanola, 
no Espanola." As the colored boy fired he yelled back, "I 
dunno what you are but you coming down for shuah." And 
he did come down with a bullet through his body. 

Speaking of these colored boys makes me think of an 
instance where a young lady, collecting souvenirs, was 
fooled. There were a number of colored soldiers standing 
on a wharf in New York, surrounded by a crowd of ad- 
mirers. This young woman was begging buttons from their 
uniforms. She stepped up to a colored boy who was dressed 
in a uniform and asked him for a button. He said "Why. 
certainly ma'am," and took off a button and handed it to her, 
Her disgust can be imagined when she came to examine the 
button later to find it was marked "Pullman," and to realize 
she had begged it from a porter of a drawing-room car. 

Private Blackmer received a scalp wound over the ear. I 
saw him walking about in a dazed manner and asked him 
what was the matter. He didn't seem to know he was hit, 
but I saw the blood trickling down the side of his face, and 
after examining the wound I sent him back to the hospital. 

We lost one officer killed and six men wounded (one fa- 
tally). The wounded behaved like the heroes that they were 
and bore the pain and suffering without wincing, even 
making light of their wounds. Private Lanois died July 3rd, 
at hospital, from wound received at "El Caney." Poor fel- 
low, I saw him for a minute at the hospital before I had to 
leave. He was as brave as anyone I ever knew. He knew 
he must die and was not afraid to face death. He asked me 
to do one or two little things for him and then I had to go. - 

What a comfort to the boys, dear old Father Fitzgerald, 
Chaplain of the Twenty-second, was that day. He came to 
me a few days later and told me where they had buried 



Rarhi:i)-\vire Kn'tanci.kmknt. 







^ 



I 



1 







HHH-'K-HOfSK. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 



49 



Charlie Field. In his rich, round brogue, he said, "I saw the 
Lieutenant decently buried and read the Kpiscupal service 
over his grave. It was the least I could do for the poor boy. 
I planted a cross over his grave to keep the devils from dese- 
crating it." Everyone loved him for his fearlessness and 
gentle way.s. No self sacrifice was too great for him if by it 
he could help the boys. He told me he would give almost 
any price for a little extract of beef for the poor boys back in 
the hospitals, and remembering I had a small can which 
Lieutenant Field had carried with him, 1 gave it to Father 
Fitzgerald, feeling if any one was entitled to it he was, after 
his kindness in seeing poor Charlie Field decently buried. 
Lieutenant Field had often told me that little can of beef 
would come in handy some day. and I have no doubt it did 
a great deal of good. 



SAN JUAN. 

It seemed hard and cruel to me to be obliged to leave our 
wounded so poorly cared for and our dead unburied ; but 
there was no alternative, and we pushed ahead towards San 
Juan. We could hear the distant firing and knew the en- 
gagement must be fierce. I remember how tired and worn 
out we all were that night. We halted near a stone bridge 
which leads over the San Juan river towards Santiago. A 
picture of this bridge appears in this volume. It was ru- 
mored that the Spaniards were heavily entrenched beyond, 
.so we went no further. We dropped down in the road right 
in our tracks. The pack mules with rations pa.ssed along 
the road, nearly stepping on the prostrate forms, but the 
men were too tired to mind them. Then we had to get up 
and get our rations, and were on the move long before day- 
break. How footsore and wearv we all were. 



50 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

They marched us back over the same road and then took a 
trail which brought us to the San Juan road near the "bloody 
bend." We met scores of wounded and many Seventy-first 
New York men going to the rear. We asked these latter 
where they were going and they informed us that their Reg- 
iment was all cut to pieces. It was here that they fulfilled 
their promise, when they said, "they wouldn't do a thing to 
the Spaniards." Some of the wounded we met along this 
road were horribly mutilated. I remember seeing one col- 
ored trooper with the upper jaw shot entirely away. 

We threw off our rolls and crossed the ford where so many 
poor fellows were shot. It was near this spot where one of 
my men, Private Farll, was shot through the shoulder by a 
sharpshooter. These sharpshooters were the bane of our 
existence. Using, as they did, smokeless powder, and cov- 
ered with green branches and leaves, they took up their 
position in the tall trees and it was difficult to hunt them 
out. It was along this line of march that the dead bodies of 
several American soldiers lay for hours without burial. 
That repulsive of all birds, the vulture, hovering above, 
would watch its opportunity and swoop down upon these 
bodies and pick and tear at the upturned faces. Our route 
lay along the base of San Juan hill and we were constantly 
under fire from the sharpshooters and Spaniards on the dis- 
tant hills. 

I remember our lying down under some trees to rest. 
The bullets flew so thick and fast it was like a hornets nest 
which had been stirred up. It was here that General Law- 
ton came along, and in conversation with Major Whipple 
asked him if he found he ever dodged when a bullet came 
pretty near, remarking that he could not help it himself. 
The Major said he did not think he minded the bullets, but 
just as he spoke, a mauser bullet hit the tree quite close to 





inBBiu 



i 



CO. L, 2Nn KK(;. MASS. INl-'V, U. S. V. 51 

them and the Major ducked his head, i sec you doii'i 
dodge, Major,"' said General Lawton. laughing. 

"SLII'TKRV nil. I..'" 

We finally took up our position on "Slippcrv Mill," so 
called by the boys. It was a peculiar position for a camp. 
Our tents were pitched upon the side hill and it was .so steep 
we had to brace our feet against the trejis to keep from slip- 
ping down the hill. Up to this point, Private Carpenter hud 
struggled along with a lame foot. It became so swollen that 
I took him to the surgeon for treatment. He .said he could 
do nothing for him, and told him he would have to go back to 
the nearest hospital for treatment, and get there the best 
way he could, as there was no ambulance to be gotten. He 
told me, on the quiet, he feared blood poisoning had .set in. 
Let me say it to Carpenter's credit, he was a plucky soldier. 
He came back as soon as he could and joined his Company, 
with a brand new outfit with Krag and ammunition. He was 
too good a soldier to go home, as he could have done read- 
ily, had he so desired. 

It was at this place that sevend men c.Kchanged their rifles 
with the Regulars for Krag-Jorgensens. I found we had a 
dozen or fifteen men fully equipped with Krags. I hated to 
remind the men that I was charged with Springfields and I 
should charge the missing guns to them, but it was neces.sary, 
and I advised them to find their "smoke-stacks." It was a 
bitter pill, but they had no difficulty in exchanging Krags for 
Springfields, and although 1 admired their judgment in pre- 
ferring the Krag with its smokeless powder it was hardly 
my duty to permit the exchange. 

Some of them tried to carry both guns, but the load was 
too much, and they discarded them one by one until only 



52 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



one or two Krags remained as relics. We dug shelter 
trenches along the ridge of this hill covering our front. 



THE NICHT ATTACK. 



We were attacked that night at about ten o'clock. It was 
dark as pitch and the wildest disorder prevailed. From 
my standpoint the Regulars were more rattled than the 
average Volunteer. The men would slip and crawl up the 
side to reach the ridge, and as a result a great many were 
badly poisoned by a kind of ivy which grew in abundance on 
this hill. The affair was soon over and I believe it was done 
by the enemy to cover their retreat into Santiago, or else 
the firing started from both sides imagining they were at- 
tacked. The Regiment lost in this attack one killed and 
two wounded, as I recall it. Sergeant Aldrich and Private 
Wilson were poisoned quite badly by the ivy and suffered 
a great deal in consequence. A Cuban gave them some 
simple remedy which, in time, cured them. . 



BOMBARDMENT OF SANTIAOO. 



Next day we pushed ahead and took up the position which 
the Spaniards had occupied the night before, overlooking 
the city of Santiago. We dug entrenchments here and we 
were so short of tools to dig with that the boys used their 
knives, forks, spoons and meat cans to scoop up the hard, 
black earth. I think our total outfit of tools for 943 men 
consisted of four shovels and two picks. No better entrench- 
ments were dug before Santiago. We filled gunny sacks 
with sand and dirt and placed them in a regular row along 
the ridge. For ten miles around Santiago similar entrench- 
ments were dug, and before each Regimental organization 
the stars and stripes floated proudly all day long. The 



CO. L, 2ND RE(i. MASS. INl-'V, U. S. V. 53 



vSpaniards could not understand our enthusiasm. Tlic bands 
played at least twice a day and such pieces as -My Country 
t'is of Thee," "The Stars and Stripes Forever," "There 
Will be a Hot Time in the Old Town," (The Regimental 
song of the P2iiihth Regulars, with a change of words) and 
always to clo.se with "The Star Spangled Banner." All 
along the line as far as the music could be heard the men 
would stand at attention with heads bared while this piece 
was played. 

RHGIMKNTAL SONG OK THK ICU.HTH UNITKD STATKS KUCUI.AKS. 

There'll be h— for every Spaniard 

When the Eighth begins to scraj). 
For we are the hot tamales 

And we never give a rap. 
We are going to land in Cuba 

And we are going to do it quick 
And when we get in action, 

We will make the Spaniards sick. 

Oh, you bet, we're not the men to crawl. 

From the Dons we're going to take a fall 
And then we'll come back victorious 

Or we won't come back at all, 
There'll be a hot time in the old town that night. 

My baby. 

In h — you'll find the Spaniards 

When we finish up the job, 
For we are tired of this fooling 

With their d— uncivil mob. 
And we're going to stop all nations 

From their fooling with our flag 
And when it is all over 

We'll accumulate a J — g. 

When you hear the lead begin to sing, 

Clear the way and we won't do a thiiig 
For we will give them h— 

And then we'll rub it in. 
There'll be a hot time in the old town thai night, 

.Mv baby. 



54 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

It was at this camp that the brigade commissary informed 
me that he could purchase and deliver a quantity of pro- 
visions if we gave him the necessary funds to procure them. 
He was under some obligation to me for past favors and I 
felt no hesitancy in taking advantage of his offer. Captain 
Hicks of M Company joined me and we gave the Lieutenant 
fifty dollars apiece and a list of things we desired. Our dis- 
gust can be imagined when a little later he appeared on the 
scene and sold out at least a half of the stuff our capital had 
purchased. Indeed I had hard work to get back the money 
due me on the advance. On July 3rd we heard heavy firing in 
the direction of the ocean and imagined a naval battle was 
taking place between our fleet and Cevera's. In this con- 
jecture we were correct and our feelings can be imagined 
when it was rumored that the Spanish fleet was completely 
destroyed. A little later this rumor was verified in a neat 
little flyer printed on board the cruiser "New York" and 
sent around the lines. 

Next to us the Cubans dug entrenchments for one of our 
batteries. I remember one of the gunners remarked he 
would dismantle a cannon we could see in front of one of 
their hospitals. He kept his word, for after one shot had 
been fired from it he struck it squarely and rendered it use- 
less. . It was at this camp that one of my Corporals, pos- 
sessed of a roving disposition, came back to camp after a 
visit to the Cuban quarters, with a bottle of "spiritus fru- 
menti." I was not feeling well at the time, and the Cor- 
poral brought the bottle (and contents) to me. Saluting, he 
said, "Sir, I bring this to you from General Garcia with his 
compliments." It seems that he. was at the Cuban camp, 
and in conversation with a subaltern, asked him if he had 
any wine or liquor. The Lieutenant told him to go to Gen- 
eral Garcia and ask him for it. The Corporal said he would 
not presume to address the Cuban General, but the attache 




f!5 



CO. L, 2NT) REG. MASS INF'V, U. S. V. 



5D 



told him the General wa.s a pleasant man and would cjladly 
give him anything he had. With more eourage than**good 
judgment, perhap.s, he went over lo (General (kireia. and 
saluting, stated his errand, emphasizing it with the remark 
that his Captain was ill and he wished the liquid for him. 

The old General asked him what organization and Regi- 
ment he belonged to and then handing him a bottle of 
Cuban rum, said, "(Tive this to your Captain with (General 
Garcia's eompliments, with the hope lie will soon be better." 

This man was Corporal George M. Brooks. He was a very 
likable fellow and was a staunch supporter of his Company 
Commander. He was our first loss by death from disea.se. 
He died on August ist, 1898, at our Regimental hospital near 
Santiago. Poor fellow, I saw him just before he died and 
he was delighted to see me. He held out his thin, emaciated 
hand in welcome to me. He could hardly speak and be- 
fore I left him had lapsed back in uncon.sciousness. 

He was returned by surgeon department as having died 
from exhaustion following an attack of malarial fever. My 
returns show he died from neglect. Not that his own com- 
rades failed him in the hour of sickne.ss. for I had men de- 
tailed day and night to care for him, and they did .so ten- 
derly and at great sacrifice to their own health and comfort. 
We buried him in a little cemetery I started near by, under the 
shade of a "monkey plum tree," between our entrenchments 
and the Regular hospital. So sick and worn out were my 
men that only a small squad could be raised to dig his grave 
in the hard, flint-like earth, and Lieutenant Mason and my- 
self were obliged to forget our rank and handle the pick 
and shovel in turn with the plucky little .squad of volunteers. 

I remember Garcia very well indeed. A gray haired man 
of striking appearance, who sat his horse like a centaur. 
Next to Maximo Gomez he held the respect and command of 
the Cuban forces. He wore a gray mustache and goatee and 



56 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



had rather a sad but kindly face. In his forehead was a deep 
scar, the result of a bullet fired by his own hand while a pris- 
oner in the hands of the .Spaniards. 

Let me put myself on record by saying that I have no con- 
fidence in the Cubans as a race to govern themselves. The 
majority of the better class are almost entirely of Spanish 
blood. The pictures you see in the magazines are generally 
very good and the grotesque appearance of the men and 
women are no exaggeration. I have seen many a Cuban 
soldier clad in little beyond a breech-clout. A set of pa- 
jamas or underwear would be sufficient clothing to designate 
a Major General. Barefooted and with little to cover their 
nakedness, your sympathies are at first aroused, but don't 
turn your back upon them to express this sympathy to your 
companions, else in the meantime they steal all your belong- 
ings. Private Ungrich was taken ill at this place and sent to 
Regimental hospital. He was afterwards .sent back to Divis- 
ional hospital and his ailment diagnosed as yellow fever. 
From here he went to the yellow fever hospital. He had 
been away from us for some two weeks when he reported 
back to his Company in a new Khaki uniform, feeling quite 
himself again. We were not allowed to stay here long and 
the Seventy-first New York occupied our trenches. I was in- 
formed later that the General commanding was on a tour of 
inspection and coming near these entrenchments enquired 
what organization occupied them. He was informed the 
Seventy-first New York. He complimented them very highly 
and said they were the best trenches he had seen. Naturally 
the officers of the Seventy-first New York did not disclaim 
the workmanship, the credit of which should have been ours. 
We were pushed around to the right and occupied some 
entrenchments built by the Cubans. Our Company had a 
good place to camp, in a grove of bamboo trees, but our en- 
trenchments were partially on a side hill. The bombard- 



CO. L, 2ND KKC. MASS. INl'v I' s V 



ment of Santiago commenced while we were here. Ii was a 
grand sight and one you will not see more than once in 'i 
lifetime. 

On July lo, at 4.45 p. m.. the Twenty-second Infanlrv. just 
to right of our Company, opened fire. A truce was on near- 
ly every day and we were ordered to cease firing on this 
occasion at 7 p. m. 

I recall seeing a Spaniard who was most tantalizing in his 
moderation in walking back and forth from a building pur- 
porting to be a hospital, (all the large buildings floated Red 
Cross flags), to a small outhouse, probably the entrance to a 
line of entrenchments. Taking a rifle I 'sighted it at about 
1700 yards and tried a few shots at him, then Lieutenant 
Mason tried a Krag, but our shots did not seem to annoy him. 
Finally, our Major came along and inquired what we were 
doing, and asked for a try at him. I told him I thought the 
distance was perhaps nearer 1800 yards and he fi.xed his sight 
for that distance and and tried a shot at the fellow. It must 
have been a close one, for he picked up his heels and .scam- 
pered into the building. We did not .see him again. 

A little pleasure boat, a side wheeler, was in plain sight at 
the upper part of the harbor. The batteries were busy dur- 
ing the bombardment, but were careful not to destrov build- 
ings or property in the city proper. A shot went through 
this boat, how^ever, and soon only her smokestack and work- 
ing beams could be seen. Instead of firing into the cilv the 
batteries kept busy trying to locate the trenches and to find 
any magazines that might be located nearby. 1 saw a shuil 
strike the old bull ring and tear a hole in the side. This 
building was filled with vSpanish troops, 'i'he return fire 
from the Spanish batteries did but little harm. The shells 
which came over our heads made a most peculiar and unus- 
ual noise. We afterwards found that this was caused f nun 
the fact that they were using shells much smaller than the 



58 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

bores of the antiquated cannon with which the city was 
fortified. 

A night's camp in a road leading to the city. 

We left our entrenchments and again were ordered to take 
the extreme right and directly overlooking the harbor. I 
remember Company L was camped that night in a road lead- 
ing to "the city. This road sloped gradually down to the 
harbor. We posted outposts down this road because it was 
feared that the Spanish troops might try to leave the city, and 
if they had this would have been the probable route for them 
to take. So near were our outposts to theirs that their voices 
could be plainly heard. That night a terrific electrical storm 
came up, and when I tell you the worst thunder storm I have 
ever witnessed in this country is as a gentle April shower 
compared to this storm you can perhaps appreciate what it 
was like. We were washed out of our tents and everything 
and everybody soaked with water. Most of the boys slept 
through it all, but some of them stood up all night. I remem- 
ber Lieutenant Mason and myself after a vain attempt to 
keep dry, and finding an inch or so of water running through 
our tent, decided to get out. 

We had but one match between us, so putting our rubber 
ponchos over our heads we lighted our pipes and stood up 
the rest of the night. The mud is something beyond descrip- 
tion. We had at least ten pounds on each foot and it required 
a hatchet to get it off. I think that was the longest night in 
my experience. The water came down in tubfuls and the 
lightning zigzaged and played all about us, while the inces- 
sant crack and roll of the thunder was deafening. Morning 
came at last, but the water continued to pour down upon us. 
I was once asked why my Company lost so heavily in battle 
and disease. I answered, and I do now, because we were "in 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 59 



it" from the start to finish. Our position was the most ex- 
posed in the battle of El Caney, and our positions in the en- 
trenchments and camp were usually as bad as could be. 
Sometimes this was the result of chance, as, for instance, the 
night we were camped in the road, the night before digging 
the last line of entrenchments before the final surrender. 
Company L never shirked its duty and never begged off from 
any detail or work assigned to it. 

OUR LAST CAMP AND ENTRENCHMENTS NEAR .SANTIAGO IIAKItoK. 

We were ordered to push on to the right, and to our won- 
der and surprise ordered to dig entrenchments on practically 
level land in a brushy swamp near the tail end of Santiago 
harbor, within 500 yards of the enemy's position on a hill and 
overlooking us. Even those in direct command demurred, 
but we were informed that if we did not care to occupy the 
position, other troops would. We supposed that we were 
digging our own graves and expected any minute to be fired 
upon by the Spaniards. To be sure there was a truce on, but 
we did not know it at the time, and I think they would have 
been justified, under the circumstances, in firing upon us, be- 
cause, in my estimation, we had no right to do any work of a 
defensive or offensive nature during the truce. 

I remember how hard the boys worked all that day in the 
rain and until long into the night. I had two or three can- 
dles, and would walk along the ditch and let the men get 
their bearings and then they would have to guess where they 
were picking or digging. One boy asked me to hold the 
candle down in the entrenchment to see what he was stand- 
ing upon. It was a snake which was wriggling beneath his 

foot. 

Next day at noon we were in our trenches and ready for 
the bombardment and attack which we expected. It never 



6o 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



came, for the Spanish surrendered the city, and our fighting 
with them was over. 



SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO. 

The heat in the trenches was something fierce, and as the 
minutes passed by after noon and no signs of the bombard- 
ment took place, we crawled out on the top of the entrench- 
ments, one by one, until nearly the whole command were in 
plain sight of the enemy. They also seemed to know that 
there was no prospect of an immediate attack and did like- 
wise. Pretty soon we saw away off to the left a solitary 
horseman spurring his horse along the line of our entrench- 
ments. He would stop in front of the dift'erent organiza- 
tions and in a minute up would go the hats of the men in 
the air and he would ride on to the next regiment, when a 
similar scene would take place. At last he reached our posi^ 
tion and we learned his message. We were informed that 
the vSpanish had surrendered the city, but we were enjoined 
not to cheer, as it would only make the Spaniards feel badly, 
and we wanted to make it as easy as possible for them. Up 
went the hats of the men in the air, and it took the place of 
a mighty cheer which the men could hardly refrain from 
giving. By the terms of the surrender the Spanish com- 
mander agreed to surrender not only the city of vSantiago, 
but all of eastern Cuba east of a line passing from Acerra- 
deros on the south to Sagua de Tanamo on the north, via 
Palma Soriano. This included not only the 12,000 Spanish 
soldiers in the city proper, but as many more in the outlying 
districts. 

The United States agreed to return the entire Fourth 
Army Corps to Spain, without arms, at our expense. The 
formal surrender took place on the morning of July 17, mid- 
way between the lines of the two armies. At 12 o'clock, 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y. U. S. V. 6l 



noon, the American flag was raised over the Governor's 
palace with appropriate ceremonies. During these cere- 
monies we were paraded in line on top of our entrench- 
ments, and as the American flag was hoisted on top of the 
palace, a mighty cheer went up all along the lines. 

Up to August 24, when the last of the Fifth Army Corps 
left Santiago, our forces lost 24 officers and 226 men killed. 
83 officers and 12 14 men wounded, 13 officers and 296 men 
and 9 civilian employees from disease. Of course a great 
number have died since their return from results of hardship 
and disease. 

Our forces making up Fifth Army Corps when it left 
Tampa Bay June 14, 1898, comprised 815 officers and 16,072 
enlisted men. The losses on the Spanish side were probably 
not as large as ours in killed and wounded, as they had a 
distinct advantage in fighting on the defense and behind 
breastworks and fortifications. However, in the battle of 
El Caney alone, out of an estimated garri.son of between 600 
and 700 men, not over 80 escaped death, wounds or capture. 
In this engagement several Spanish officers were either 
killed or wounded. Among the killed was General Vara del 
Rey. In the succeeding engagements they lost heavily in 
ofificers, and General Linares, the chief in command, was 
seriously wounded. This left the vSpanish forces in com- 
mand of General Toral. At time of surrender, the Spanish 
had something like 1700 sick in their hospitals. 

Here comes the saddest part of our history. The men 
overworked, underfed, and weak from exposure to the ele- 
ments and climate, having existed until now upon their nerves, 
suddenly collapsed. I wish these pages in our history could 
be torn out. One after another and in squads they sickened, 
until not one man in the Company was free from disease. 
It was a horrible sight to see the poor fellows get up in the 
morning, blink sleepily in the sun and stagger out for roll 



62 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

call. A good many could not even do that. Warren Davis 
was one of the sickest men we had. He was full of pluck, 
and possessed of a determination not to give up, and it was 
due to his cheerful disposition and strong will power that he 
is alive to-day. He was finally sent to the Regimental hos- 
pital and I despaired of his being able to accompany us 
home, but he was sent down to the wharf in an ambulance, 
and improved somewhat on the homeward voyage. 

Reveille was sounded at about 5 to 5.30 a. m., and the boys 
who were able to stand up, would fall in and try to look sol- 
dierly. Many a poor fellow would overestimate his strength 
and faint away, or have to fall out and be assisted back to 
his tent. I have seen more than one man fall flat on his face 
in the mud in a dead faint. What a forlorn, ragged, unhappy 
looking lot we were, to be sure. In our rags, we rivalled the 
Cubans from the crown of our hats to the soles of our feet. 
Some of the boys were reduced to mere skeletons. One of 
the men, in describing the condition of a friend of his in 
another Company, said he was so thin the seat of his trousers 
dragged on the ground. Surgeons' call came at 5.30 to 6 
a. m., or thereabouts, and the .sick men who could crawl had 
to fall in and be marched to the surgeons' quarters to report 
and be excused from duty. Many a poor fellow, discouraged 
at the harsh treatment, or words received, and finding no re- 
lief, would slink away unseen, and would wait until the 
squad came back, when he would join it and pretend he had 
been treated. The rest of the day was occupied at first by 
Company drills and by regular routine camp life. 

The drills had to be dropped at last, as there was plenty 
of work to keep the men busy caring for the sick, getting 
water and fuel, etc. Corporal Lobdell had been growing 
worse since July 4th, and was in the hospital. He had 
plenty of pluck, and hated to give up. His age was against 
him, (in years he was but a mere boy) and the fact that he 




"^viu. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 



^Z 



was not matured physically was especially a drawback. The 
tremendous loads each man was required to carry on our 
long marches completely wore him out, besides permanently 
injuring him. Coupled to this, dysentery set in, and he was 
reduced to a mere skeleton. I finally succeeded in <rettin<r 
an order to send him back to the Divisional hospital'with a 
recommendation that he be sent back to the States He 
kicked vigorously, but it was an order, so he had to obey it 
I gave him some money and sent my .servant, Stark, with 
him. It seems that the ambulance driver was intoxicated 
and after driving a few miles in a circle, deposited the men 
on the ground about a mile from where they started. I am 
of the opinion that Lobdell was not greatly disappointed at 
the turn of affairs. I was thunderstruck when he appeared 
in camp and told me of the affair. 

He announced his determination to get better and, sure 
enough, he did improve for several days, and to such an ex- 
tent that he asked to be put on regular details. But the im- 
provement was not long-lived and he was soon compelled to 
gi\e up again. He improved on the "Mobile," and when we 
reached Montauk I congratulated myself that I could send 
him home in better health than most of us were in. A well 
meaning ship's officer, with more sympathy than good judg- 
ment and against my orders, gave him some fruit the night 
before we landed. He was sent to the hospital direct from 
the boat, contrary to my orders, and it was some time before 
I could locate him. I telegraphed his parents to come for 
him as soon as I could get permission to .send him home, but 
when they arrived, they found he had been sent to New 
York. 

This affair was a fair sample of the conditions we had to 
contend with. After promising me he could go home with 
his parents, those in charge of the hospital allowed him to 
be sent to some hospital around New York, and without the 



64 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



slightest record of where he had been taken. He was located 
after a two days' hunt in a horrible condition and practically 
neglected by those in charge of the hospital. 

What a place to read character. Sacrifices were made and 
deeds of heroism accomplished w^hich have never been told, 
but which are as deserving as the leading of a forlorn hope. 

This ground fever has a most depressing effect upon the 
one afflicted. You must keep constantly on the move, have 
something to occupy your mind or nostalgia will set in and 
you are lost. Men become discouraged, despondent, lose 
vitality and with it their hold upon life. It was necessary at 
times to use extreme measures with such cases, even to be- 
ing cross and abusive to them in order to keep them from 
giving up. Company L lost five men at this camp from dis- 
ease. So many men were ill at the time that it became 
necessary for Lieutenant Mason and myself to help dig some 
of the graves. I remember, when finally I was taken ill, 
hearing one of the men as he passed my tent say, "The Cap- 
tain will now know what it is to have this fever." There 
was certainly no excuse for our not having proper medical 
attendance here. 

What I could purchase at Santiago in way of medicine 
and supplies, the Government and others could certainly 
have done. Quinine was about the only thing prescribed 
and this for every kind of disease. The meat, potatoes, 
onions and fresh bread issued here were good for the most 
part, but it was so late before we got them that the boys had 
no appetite and the Cubans had many a good meal from our 
rations. The canned goods issued were for the most part 
vile. I truly believe the canned roast beef had had the juice 
extracted from it before canning and then grease or "embalm- 
ing fluid " (so called) injected to preserve it. I have seen 
pieces as large as my fist of refuse meat not fit for dogs to 
eat. There was no excuse for this state of affairs. We were 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 65 

fed upon bacon until the grease came through the pores of 
the skin, so that when you washed, the water would roll off 
you as it does from a duck's back. 

There was a long time we went without our mail because 
the General commanding said it was no time for reading let- 
ters. A lot of this mail was, I understand, destroyed at 
Siboney, when that town was burned, to prevent the spread 
of yellow fever. What a mistake to deprive men of their 
letters from home. It is food and stimulant and the only 
sure cure for nostalgia. 

Anyone who could have seen those poor, ragged, sick sol- 
diers drinking in every word contained in those precious 
lines from home and seethe faces brighten and the step seem 
to grow more buoyant and their voices grow stronger as 
they read and reread their letters, would offer, rather than 
refuse, every facility possible to get such beneficial medicine 
into their hands. I worked hours myself .sorting out letters, 
of my own free will and accord, and I wanted no greater re- 
ward than to see the smiling, happy faces, as they eagerly 
welcomed the sound of their name as it was called. 
* But I am not testifying before a whitewash commission. 
Enough that we did suffer from evils that ought never to 
have occurred. Hardships we expected, and I think every 
soldier agrees with Sherman, "War is Hell." 

SANTIAGO DE CUBA. 

There were some rays of sunshine, and I recall with pleasure 
some of my trips into Santiago. This quaint old city, founded 
in 1 5 i4by Velasquez, and named after Saint lago (Saint James), 
the patron saint of Spain, is the oldest in the West Indies, if 
not in America; certainly the oldest of any size on the con- 
tinent. So old is it that its streets, houses and general ex- 



66 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



ternal appearance would not astonish Columbus could he see 
it to-day. Cortez started from it to make the conquest of 
Mexico. 

The city is built upon a hill which slopes gradually down 
to the harbor, Its streets are narrow and mostly paved, but 
such paving you can hardly imagine. The stones are all 
sizes and not laid with any regularity except near the docks 
where the roads are in very good shape. They had no sys- 
tem of sewerage, and the water and refuse matter was allowed 
to flow along the gutters or in the middle of the street. I 
have seen a pool of green, slimy water in the middle of a 
thoroughfare, and dead dogs, cats and decaying matter float- 
ing on its surface. 

Its houses are low and of peculiar architecture. The exter- 
nal walls are either of limestone, limestone stained and painted, 
orof a sort of primitive lathing of tree twigs and branches, cov- 
ered with plaster. They are in all stages of disaster and de- 
cay, and some have entirely collapsed along streets full of 
gulleys and gaps. Every house is roofed with cumbrous scal- 
lop patterned tiles, and the windows are merely fencework, 
made of light iron bars. 

The houses are mostly only one story high. You can 
see in and through them, and very neat and cool the ones in 
the nicest streets appear. Bent wood or cane-seated furni- 
ture, plenty of rockers, white walls, bare rafters and stone 
floors are the rule. Viewing the city from the harbor, with 
its spreading mass of low houses, built upon the mountain 
slope, their plastered walls decorated with nearly every shade 
and tint, presenting more than the colors of the rainbow, it 
looks for all the world as if it might be in Algiers. Morocco 
or Tripoli. It was a most delightful experience to visit the 
San Carlos Club, the swellest one in the city, or to dine at 
the La Venus Cafe, the Delmonico's of Santiago. 

I have always been sorry that I could not spare the time 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 6/ 



to study more closely the means of defense of this city. 
Many of its fortifications, though obsolete, were unique and 
picturesque to an extreme. There were forts and fortresses 
with ramparts, parapets, moats and other bulwarks. Its 
more modern methods of defen.se, consisting of trenches, 
blockhouses and barbed wire entanglements were well nigh 
inexpugnable, if not entirely impregnable. 

Some of their heavy guns were, externally, works of art 
and very ancient. I remember two of them bore dates back 
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They were of 
bronze and covered with inscriptions and other decorations. 
On the whole, it is an extremely interesting city and can be 
made a very attractive one. I have met on my way into- the 
city, at one time, eleven funerals. They averaged about 
fifty deaths a day while we were there, in a city of perhaps 
70,000 inhabitants. Their cemeteries are beautiful and I 
realW believe they care more for their dead than their living. 

I met many of the Spanish officers in the restaurants of 
the city and I must admit they were, as a rule, capital fel- 
lows, kindly disposed, hospitable and very gentlemanly. 

I remember being in the city one day with Major W. We 
were introduced to an officer, a Captain in the Spanish ser- 
vice. He was a very agreeable fellow and evidently well 
educated. We were told afterwards that prior to the war he 
owned the finest residence in the city of Santiago. The 
Major was soon on very intimate terms with him and tried 
to induce him to sell his belt, which was a very elaborate 
affair, with money pouch and watch case attachments. 

The Spaniard refused to part with it at any price, but the 
Major determined to have a souvenir from him, and to my 
dismay, finally expressed a desire to have a button from his 
coat and got two by taking them without leave or license. 
The Spaniard seemed very much astonished at the liberty 
taken by the Major, but the latter laughingly told him he 



68 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

could have a couple of his if he liked. The Spaniard de- 
clined the offer, and with a shrug of his shoulders left us. 

The merchants of the city soon learned the value of our 
.money and in addition to charging us the highest prices for 
their goods, insisted upon being paid in "Americano" money. 
They tried to be very smart and clever by handing back the 
change in Spanish money. We got even with some of them, 
however, by telling them they could take Spanish money or 
nothing. i\n American dollar was worth one dollar and 
eighty cents in their coin. 

One day while I was in the city my hor.se went lame. I 
had about made up my mind to walk back to camp when 
I came across our Quartermaster sitting on the curbing of 
a sidewalk. He had been taken suddenly ill and was in the 
act of sending his horse back to camp by a colored lad, and 
going to the hospital for treatment. I promptly exchanged 
horses and went to the United States Quartermaster's depot 
and assisted in checking up a lot of goods consigned to our 
Regiment and helped not a little in getting them ready for 
shipment to our camp. 

I rode back to camp in company with our Major. We 
stopped at the wharves and saw tons of supplies, etc., piled 
high on every side. We saw some cots among other things, 
and as they were not marked or guarded, the Major sug- 
gested we ride back later and help ourselves. I told him I 
had been taught that "the time to do a thing was in the 
time of it," so we hired a "volante," loaded it up and escorted 
the wagon back to camp. It was merely an exchange, as we 
had plenty of cots, etc., in the pile if we had been allowed 
permission to hunt them out. 

I received an order one day to report at General Lawton's 
headquarters. Taking Private Barnes as my orderly, I started 
on foot to report. I well remember that day. The air was 
hot and stifling and we had a mile and one-half to walk. We 



I 



CO. 



L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'y, U. S. V. 69 



both had received letters, and 1 recall the satisfaction it gave 
us as we read and re-read tho.se loving lines from home. We 
reached headquarters at last and I reported to General Law- 
ton. I shall never forget that interview with our Divisional 
Commander. Major-General Henry W. Lav/ton, who but re- 
cently lost his life by a bullet from an insurgent's rifle, while 
on the firing line in the Philippines, was a fine specimen 
of a man and soldier. Standing fully six feet in his stock- 
ings, bronzed from exposure and hardships, and with his 
grey mustache, he presented a striking and commanding 
figure. A great campaigner and a good disciplinarian, a strat- 
egist and thorough organizer, a gentleman and model officer, 
such was General Lawton. I shall never forget him as I saw 
him that day, dressed in his pajamas and reclining upon his 
cot, trying to keep cool and comfortable. I tried to look 
every inch a soldier as I stood at attention and .saluted him. 
The General, in his kindly way, invited me into his tent and 
said, "Don't be formal. Captain, but make yourself as com- 
fortable as possible here." 

He said he wished to appoint me Divisional Postmaster 
and I still treasure the document designating me as such, to- 
gether with the pass, giving me permission to pass to and 
from the city at all times. I was furnished with a mount and 
ordered to go to Santiago and confer with the postmaster 
there in regard to methods to be adopted, and to report re- 
sults. I found the Postmaster desirous of putting into prac- 
tice a scheme for the improvement of our mail facilities and 
I advised General Lawton to permit him a trial and he con- 
sented to it. I remember carrying back the mail to Divis- 
ional headquarters that day and I was requested to go back 
by way of General Ludlow's quarters and hand him some 
documents. (General Ludlow was afterwards the Military 
Governor of Havana.) I have every reason to believe he 
received his commission as a Major-General of Volunteers in 



/O CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

that mail, and if not he certainly had letters from home, for 
he came out and said he was under obligations to me for tak- 
ing it to him. I was invited to dinner, and I breathe it soft 
and low, we had griddlecakes and watermelon on the table. 

I saw Major Conrad of the Eighth that day for the last 
time. He was a magnificent fellow and I owed him much 
for kindness extended to me. You will rarely find a man his 
equal in physical makeup, and in addition, a good officer and 
a gentleman. On the "Seneca" he was next in command to 
Colonel Van Horn, who was in command of the First Brigade. 
Second Division, and much of the routine duty on board the 
transport devolved upon him. I was in command of the de- 
tachment of Second Regiment on the "Seneca," and I have 
always been grateful to him for the experience and treat- 
ment accorded me on that voyage. He always treated me 
with the same consideration he did his own battalion com- 
manders and required me to perform duties similar to those 
to which they were assigned. 

Poor fellow, he died on a hospital boat in the harbor the 
day we left Cuba. At dinner with me were Captain Kells, 
the Brigade Commander's right hand man and an indefatig- 
able worker, Major Crompton, Brigade surgeon. Lieutenant 
Davidson, Commissary officer, all good friends of mine and 
men I learned to admire. 

After the surrender of Santiago, I made up my mind to 
leave nothing undone which would assist me to get permis- 
sion to have the body of Lieutenant Field returned to the 
States. A brother of Lieutenant Ord, of the Twenty-second 
United States Infantry, was killed at El Caney, and the 
Lieutenant had said he would never return to the vStates 
without the body of his brother. 

He very kindly offered to use his influence in my behalf in 
getting my wish granted. Another brother of Lieutenant 
Ord was on the staff of General Shafter at the time, and we 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 7 1 

felt very hopeful in getting permission to remove the bodies, 
especially as they had been officers, and had been killed by 
bullets. I went into the city and secured an interpreter. and 
through him was introduced to a priest connected with the 
Cathedral at Santiago. He was a delightful man anil offered 
me every assistance possible. We interviewed an under- 
taker, who finally, through the efforts of the priest, agreed to 
raise the body, place it in a metallic casket and deliver it at 
the wharves in Santiago for ($200) two hundred dollars. His 
first price was $300, but the priest succeeded in working him 
down to $200. I accepted his terms conditionally upon my 
securing permission to have the body removed. 

I returned to camp quite satisfied with the progress so far 
made, but was doomed to final disappointment in the mat- 
ter. Lieutenant Ord was unsuccessful in his mission, owing 
to the numerous requests of a similar nature to ours. 

Lieutenant Ord kept his word about staying in Cuba until 
he could remove his brother's body. He secured a staff po- 
sition, I think, with General Lawton, who was at that time 
acting as military governor, and remained in Santiago until 
he had accomplished his desire. 

"Jo-JOs" were very popular during the last few weeks of 
our stay on Cuban soil. They consisted largely in ill founded 
rumors of our speedy departure for home. Private Riley, a 
good natured fellow, and one who always did his duty as he 
saw it, was dubbed the "chief of the Jo- Jo." Riley was on 
horse detail at headquarters, and he delighted to come down 
to our camp and tell the boys the latest news. Sometimes 
this was largely drawn from his imagination, but he was al- 
ways diverting and the boys welcomed his rumors, even if 
they usually proved unfounded. He was very kind to the 
boys back at the hospital and would come down nearly every 
day with a horse and take back their share of rations to 
them. 



72 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



I was reading with much interest one day a copy of the 
Gazette & Courier, which T had received from home. An 
acquaintance of mine, an officer in the Eighth Regulars, came 
along and asked me what I was readiui^^ so earnestly. I 
showed him the paper and he said, "Where in — did' you 
get that paper?" I informed him he was mistaken as to'the 
place where it was published, adding that it was edited and 
published in Greenfield, where I lived. He then informed 
me that when he was courting his present wife she lived 
with some people on a ranch in Wyoming. They were for- 
merly residents of Greenfield and subscribed for the Gazette. 
He was stationed at Fort Russell, near Che3-enne, and when 
he visited his best girl she insisted upon his reading to her 
from the Greenfield paper. 

Who of us will ever forget Quartermaster Sergeant Salis- 
bury? He was of a religious temperament and I honor him 
and we all respected him because he had the courage of his 
convictions and was not ashamed to say his prayers or read 
his Bible at any or all times, regardless of who was watching 
him. He did not smoke or chew, but as Quartermaster Ser- 
geant it was his duty to divide up the tobacco and deal it 
out to the men, and he always did it without the slightest 
partiality. vSometimes he swapped off his share for hard- 
tack, but more often he gave it to some fellow whom he 
knew enjoyed it. 

It was his duty to divide up the hardtack and bacon and 
he worked late and early to see that each man had his share. 
Sometimes the boys abu.sed him thoughtlessly, but I am sure 
they always felt sorry for it afterwards. Private Ward Smith 
was handy with a knife and helped the Quartermaster Ser- 
geant to slice up the sides of bacon or the mouldy quarters 
of beef when we had any. 

THE MEN LEFT BEHIND. 

When orders did finally come for us to prepare to go on 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 73 



transports we were obliged to leave some of the men behind 
because they were yellow fever suspects. It was a great 
trial, but we were powerless to interfere or change the edict. 
Those left behind were vSergeant Hale, Sergeant Murphy, 
Private O'Connell, Private Smead, Private Patnode, Private 
Anderson, who had been detailed at Divisional hospital and 
was sick at the time, and Private Van Petersilge, who was at- 
tached to the hospital corps. "Van," as the boys familiarly 
called him, did good work in the hospitals and at the time we 
left Cuba, was quite ill at hospital at vSiboney. 

Sergeant Murphy was one of my best non-commissioned 
officers. To show how popular he was with his comrades 
and in what high esteem he was held by all who knew him, 
he was elected First Lieutenant of Company L on his return 
to the State militia, to succeed Lieutenant Field. It was an 
honor well merited and it was unfortunate he failed to pass 
the physical exammation and was not assigned to duty in 
consequence. 

I was especially fortunate in my selection of non-commis- 
sioned officers and they all did their duty in a most satisfactory 
manner, and by example and hard work did much for the 
welfare of the command. Their willingness to work and 
good nature kept up the spirits of the men and prevented 
many a boy from giving up the struggle. Corporals Slo- 
comb and Denison were always cheerful under the most try- 
ing circumstances and managed successfully to inject their 
good feelings into the dispositions of the other boys. 

I smuggled young Patnode into the ambulance assigned us 
for men who were too weak to walk to the boat, but one of 
those contract doctors sent down to Cuba by the Govern- 
ment to find yellow fever, nosed him out and refused to let 
him go with us. I felt very sorry for the poor boy, for he was 
physically quite strong at that time, but was what the boys 
called a little "nuttv-" He had an idea he was o:oing: to die 



74 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



and would wake up in the night and scream with fright. I 
could always calm him on these occasions and I feel quite 
sure if he could have come home with us he would have 
pulled through all right. Poor boy, he came up on the hos- 
pital boat "Bay State" later, and died in a Boston hospital, of 
dysentery, shortly after landing. 

One of the saddest cases was that of Sergeant Hale. All 
the boys liked Archie and he was as faithful and unselfish as 
anyone I ever knew. He had been gradually failing for 
several weeks and the medical treatment he received seemed 
to do him no good. I knew his condition perhaps better 
than anyone else, because he confided his feelings to me. 
He could not sleep nights and often would come to me dur- 
ing my illness and ask to sit in my tent in a steamer chair 
I had picked up in Santiago. It distressed him to lie down 
and, as he said, ''I can rest in the chair and you might want 
something in the night." I shall never forget his thoughtful- 
ness, and when he died I lost not only a good soldier but a 
faithful friend. The doctors said he had a remote chance to 
live if he could be gotten back to the Divisional hospital, and 
I gave the contract surgeon, Dr. Dunwoody, $20, and he 
promised to send him back, if possible. I told him to draw 
upon me if he needed more. So far as I can learn he did 
absolutely nothing towards getting him sent back, and poor 
Hale died on the 1 5th of September in the Second Regiment 
hospital. 

Lieutenant Plummer of our Regiment was left in charge 
of the men who were kept behind, and he did everything 
possible to make the boys comfortable. Much credit is due 
him for his self-sacrificing work. We would cheerfully have 
allowed him all the money he asked for, but aside from a 
small assessment to cover actual expenses, which we paid, 
he would take nothing. Dr. Dunwoody has since died, so I 
never learned why Sergeant Hale was not sent back to Di- 




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CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF Y, U. S. V. 75 

visional hospital. To show how considerate and conscien- 
tious to duty vSergeant Hale was, let me relate a little inci- 
dent. 

I was obliged to punish a man for disobedience and had 
put him under arrest. After I left him, it seems he made 
threats in his anger to knife me, or put a bullet into me the 
first chance he got. Sergeant Hale overheard his threats 
and was somewhat alarmed for my safety. He came to me 
and told me what he had heard and warned me to keep my 
eye on the fellow. I thanked him for his thoughtfulness, 
but told him I knew the nature of the "beast" better than he 
did and had no fear for my personal safety. It was Sergeant 
Hale who told me that Lieutenant Field had been wounded 
just before I found him and had him taken to the road-bed. 
As one of his dearest friends expressed it as we were gath- 
ered around his grave, "I feel reminded of a part of Inger- 
soll's eulogy at the funeral of his brother: — "If everyone 
were to bring a blossom to his open grave who had received 
some kind service from his now lifeless hand, he would rest 
at night in a wilderness of flowers." 

I did not have the heart or courage to tell the boys they 
must stay behind, and Sergeant Aldrich broke the news to 
them by telling them they were to go later on the hospital 
boat. They showed great courage and the stuff they were 
made of by not complaining, and I have no doubt this cour- 
age and the excellent treatment they received saved .some 
of their lives. 

We had all sorts of experiences and some of them not 
without a touch of pleasure or a dash of the ridiculous. 
Who of us will ever forget a certain private when he came 
back from a trip to the Cuban village near by. He was one 
of my best men and of a quiet and obedient nature. It 
seems that a Cuban had given him a drink of Cuban rum. 
This vile concoction is very seductive, and unless one is ac- 



76 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



quainted with its "get there" qualities he is liable to find him- 
self in trouble before he knows it. This was the case in 
this instance and the private came home under the friendly 
escort of our Chaplain and carrying the top to an antiquated 
sewing-machine which he had picked up in the village. 

With the characteristic instinct of one under the control 
of that bad medicine, which the boys learned to shun, he 
went to the Orange Company to show the boys of that fa- 
mous sewing-machine town his find. He had an admiring 
crowd around him when I learned of his presence and con- 
dition. The rules were strict and orders imperative about 
going outside the lines, owing to the fear of contracting con- 
tageous diseases and thus endangering the health of the en- 
tire command. I ordered his arrest and he was brought 
before me. I talked to him pretty severely and told him he 
was under arrest and must be punished as Colonel Clark 
might see fit. He looked at me in the most aggrieved man- 
ner possible, and as if the possession of the old sewing-ma- 
chine should be a most forgiving element and extremely 
extenuating reason for disobedience, said, "Great Heavens, 
Captain, just think of the value of this machine." 

I confess I felt like laughing with the boys, but felt com- 
pelled to send him to headquarters. He was severely repri- 
manded by the Colonel and then forgiven. We were all 
pleased with the results, for he was popular and a good 
soldier. Several of the men were under suspicion of going 
into the city without permission, but when the proof was not 
positive I filed away their cases. I had not the heart to 
punish them and would gladly have tried to get permission 
for them to visit Santiago if it had not been for the great 
risk of contracting disease and thereby endangering the health 
of the entire command. 

The Cubans came to sell us curios of all kinds, and cigars, 
clothing, etc. It seems as if I should never get the inces- 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. T] 

sant clatter and jargon of the Cuban women out of my ears 
as they came to our camp begging our rations or selling 
their wares. It was like the scramble and clatter of a flock 
of English sparrows fighting for a handful of crumbs. We 
had to watch these Cubans as you do the "dago poko" who 
haunts your back yard with his iron hook, now and then 
smuggling your week's washing from the clothes-line. The 
toe of your boot or a club had to be used sometimes to make 
them leave the camp. They would go off muttering "Amer- 
icano mucha malo," which interpretated means, Americans 
very bad. 

"Cuban Charlie," a Lieutenant in the Cuban army, was 
perhaps the most popular Cuban we met. He was born and 
educated in this country and was pretty nearly of Spani.sh 
blood. He came back on the "Mobile" with us, but I lost 
sight of him after we reached Montauk. I .saw a good deal 
of him in Santiago, and he helped me collect several valua- 
ble souvenirs. I remember also how he got the best of me 
on a horse trade. My knowledge of Spanish was necessarily 
limited, but I had about concluded the purchase of a small 
Spanish pony, "Poco cabbalarii" at $20.00, from a Spanish 
Cavalry man, when "Cuban Charlie" came on the scene. He 
immediately took up the negotiations, and I supposed was 
helping me out, when to my dismay he handed the Spaniard 
$15.00, took the horse away from him and rode off. A little 
while afterwards he apologized, but said he needed him 
badly as he was commissioned to take messages to General 
Garcia, who was camped somewhere in the interior. 

While we were talking, he saw the same Spaniard stand- 
ing in a store holding a whip in his hand. Charlie walked 
up to him and demanded the whip as a part of the purchase, 
and the fellow finally gave it to him. This made his pur- 
chase a horse, saddle, bridle and whip for $15. I secured 
some beautiful medals from a Spaniard one day. He was of 



78 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

the guard Seville, or Queen's guard. He had been severely 
wounded, and was also a sharpshooter of some fame, and 
these medals had been given to him for bravery in battle 
and meritorious work as a sharpshooter. 

I recall on one occasion being on detail as Officer of the 
Day. It was the day following the announcement of the sur- 
render of the city. Some Spanish soldiers, either looking for 
some horses which had strayed away, or wishing to make 
friends with the " Americanos," came quite near to one of 
our outposts and were taken in custody. I was at a loss to 
know what to do with them, but the Field Officer of the Day 
appearing on the scene, I appealed to him and he told me to 
take one of the prisoners to Regimental headquarters. Feel- 
ing I was relieved from responsibility in the matter, I did as 
I was ordered. The Colonel " didn't do a thing " but call me 
down for allowing the Spaniards in our camp and I was or- 
dered to have them conducted beyond our lines and not al- 
low them in again. I afterwards explained my position and 
was relieved from all blame or censure in the matter. 

The general impression is held, 1 believe, that "Snowball," 
the young negro lad who visited Greenfield after our return, 
was the mascot of our Company. This, however, is not so, as 
"Snowball" went to Cuba as the protege of some regular 
Regiment. To be sure he did turn up in our Regiment after 
he had been kicked out of several other organizations, and 
we tried to be kind to him, but he inherited that greatest 
weakness of his race in stealing right and left and was 
finally driven from our camp. He was a great horse thief 
and had at different times no less than eight horses while on 
the island. He was useful to me for a while in running on 
errands into Santiago, but we saw little of him until after 
our return to Greenfield. While here he got into several 
scrapes and at least twice was sent back to his home in Wash- 
ington. But he would bob up serenely after a short absence 



i 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS INF'Y, U. S. V. 79 



until he became a great nuisance. He was finall}- before the 
District Court and sent to the reform school for the rest of 
his minority. 

How solemn the sound of " taps" made us feel as the bugle 
notes trembled out through the silent night. This call 
usually means lights out and to bed, but we associated it 
with the more solemn use it is put to at the burial of the 
dead. So many men were dying all about us in the different 
camps that "taps" could be heard frequently throughout the 
day. Men trembled, wondering who would be next to an- 
swer the last roll call. And when it came directly home to 
us, how it made the heart ache and with what tenderness we 
wrapped the poor fellows in their, blankets and how regret- 
fully we threw the clods of earth upon those poor blanketed 
forms. 

Corporal Brooks was the first to succumb to disea.se in our 
Company. He died August ist; then came Private Thyne's 
death, August 6th, and Private Sullivan followed on August 
nth. I shall never forget the feeling of sadness that came 
over me when Private Graves came up from the hospital to 
tell me poor "Tynie," as he called him. was dead. Private 
Graves had been detailed to care for him that night. We 
had sent him to the hospital because we felt he would have 
better treatment there than we could give him in his tent. 
He was up about fifteen or twenty minutes before he died 
and Private Graves had seen him. and suppo.sed he was in no 
immediate danger, so had dropped off to sleep himself. A 
few m.inutes later he awoke and went to his cot to see if he 
wanted anything and found him dead. It completely un- 
nerved him and he was on the point of collapse when he 
came to notify me and I can see him now as he said, "For 
God's .sake, Captain, give me a little stimulant to steady me." 
I tell you it took courage to do your duty at such a time and 
I have the greatest respect for the men who showed their 



8o 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



unselfishness and did what they could to comfort their poor 
comrades. Thyne's sudden death was a great shock to us. 
He was one of the strongest men in the Company and had 
worked up to the day he was sent to the hospital. One of 
his companions has since told me that Thyne was given some 
liquor to drink by a native, while he was on outpost duty 
near the city. He said he was taken with cramps directly 
afterwards, and his death, following so soon, he believed 
could be traced to that drink of liquor. 

The men detailed at this time to care for the sick in the 
hospital were all sick enough themselves to be in bed. But 
they did what they could, and as a rule, without complaint. 
Poor Sullivan was sure he was going to die, and refused to 
make a struggle for life. I urged him to make a fight for it, 
and he would promise me, but the minute I left him, he 
would give up, and lie down again. We finally sent him to 
the hospital, but so sure was he that he must die, he refused 
his food and medicine, and finally died, September ii, from 
exhaustion, following ground fever. 

I have read and been told that the Volunteers lost men 
from disease because they did not know how to care for 
themselves as did the Regulars. This was certainly not so 
in our case, for as a matter of fact, substantiated by the re- 
ports from the War Department, the Second Regiment did 
not lose as many men from disease as the Eighth and 
Twenty-second Regulars brigaded with us. These two Reg- 
iments put together just about equalled in numbers our Reg- 
iment. We had at least three men in our Company who had 
seen service in the regular army, and good men they were 
too. I refer to cook Farll, Corporal Beckworth and Private 
Stockburger. If we were lacking in knowledge which the 
regular outfits were in possession of, we had the examples 
and experience of these men to aid us. 

We were very particular about bathing when water could 



CO. L, 2ND RKG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 8 1 



be found, and boiled the water for drinkinj;^ purposes when- 
ever we could do so. In fact we tried to make these rules 
very rigid. The water, "agua" the Cubans called it. was for 
the most part condemned as impure. The boys well remem- 
ber the detail made every morning to sand the sinks once an 
hour, and the men so detailed were excused from all other 
fatigue duty that day. Captain Hicks of M Company and 
myself combined forces and had sinks dug in common for 
the use of our Companies. We constituted ourselves sani- 
tary-inspectors and did what we could for the health of our 
commands. What a funny sight it was to see the water 
detail start out to fill their long bamboo poles with water. 
They would come back with these hollow poles filled with 
water, with the open end plugged up with a tuft of grass. 
The men would fill their canteens with boiled water at night 
and hang them on their tent poles with the plug out, and in 
the morning the water would be quite cold. Later on we 
were permitted to buy ice from the city and it was indeed a 
great luxury. I recall that we paid $1.25 a hundred for it 
and it cost us about a dollar to deliver it at our camp. I re- 
member one poor fellow who was too weak from sickness to 
wash himself and I punished one of the men for some petty 
disobedience by obliging him to give the invalid a good 
scrubbing. It was indeed a severe punishment and one he 
did not relish or soon forgot. 

Private Brassor secured a horse, the Lord and himself only 
knows where. We had him only for a day or so and some 
thieving Cuban probably had the benefit of him. It relieved 
the water detail while we had him and we would have parted 
with a lot of cold cash rather than lose him. Lieutenant 
Mason and myself were never so happy as when we could 
steal away for an hour from our many duties and take what 
we called a shower bath. Many a mile we have tramped to 
find a good spot to bathe. The orders were very strict about 



82 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



bathing in the streams where the water was used for drink- 
ing purposes. I shall never forget the feeling which came 
over me when I discovered a negro cavalryman washing his 
dirty underwear in a brook a little ways above where I had 
filled some canteens with water for drinking purposes. Even 
boiling would have hardly killed the germs in that water, I 
feel quite sure. I was especially fortunate as regards the 
clean-cut personnel of my Company. Where could you find 
more sturdy, uncomplaining soldiers and men than Privates 
Freshour, Frost, Kelliher, Kingston, Wat.son, Gary, Smead, 
and in fact with hardly an exception, the entire Company. 
They all knew the sacrifice they were making in leaving 
their happy, comfortable homes, but they did it willingly 
with the true instincts of a good soldier, and if necessary, 
were willing to give up their very lives for their country and 
the dear old flag-. 

Sergeant Aldrich and Private Williams were of the great- 
est help in those last dark days. First, Aldrich would have 
a chill and have to give up, and then Williams would boil 
water and cook for twenty-five or thirty men who were un- 
able to do this work for themselves. Then Williams would 
begin to shake and Aldrich would stagger out and say he 
was feeling first-rate and do the work. They kept up this 
work for several days and without doubt saved several poor 
fellows, with nourishment and example, from giving up en- 
tirely. I went into Santiago and got supplies and medicine. 
and for awhile was called Doctor instead of Captain by the 
boys. Perry Wilson was also entitled to hang out an M. D. 
shingle. His father, being a physician, sent him a good 
many simple remedies, which he always generously divided 
amongst the boys. He had an attack of mumps as a sort of 
diversion while we were waiting for orders to be sent home. 
We seemed to be the banner Company for furnishing details; 
for instance, there was Private Riley and Corporal Beck- 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 83 



worth on horse detail, Musician Dean as a bugler and orderly 
at headquarters, Barnes, detailed at brigade headquarters for 
a time as clerk, Van Petersilge in the hospital corps and 
Arnold in the pioneer corps. Then Fay was detailed as or- 
derly for Lieutenant-Colonel vShumway, and Anderson finally 
at the Divisional hospital. 

Colonel Shumway spoke very highly of Fay and his ser- 
vices while with him. When Musician Dean was finally re- 
lieved of his duties and sent back to the Company he was 
taken with an attack of hiccoughs which lasted three days, 
and I thought he would die from them. He enlisted after 
his return home in the Ninth United States Infantry Band, 
and is now in the Philippines or China. Private Snow and 
Private Arnold also enlisted and are seeing service in. the 
Philippines. Private Forgette joined the Regular Army and 
Private Floury was for a time in a battery stationed near 
Havana. 

A favorite dish prepared by the boys from their hard-tack 
and bacon was made as follows: 

First, they would fry the grease from a piece of bacon, 
then soak their hard-tack in water until it had the consist- 
ence of mashed potato, then put it in their frying pan and 
pour over it the grease from their bacon and fry it. It made 
a very toothsome meal, but the great trouble was in getting 
enough of it to satisfy your hunger. The name given to 
this dish is a very expressive one, but would hardly look 
well in print, so I will simply give the receipt, if any of my 
kind readers would like to try it. 

How lighthearted and full of fun the boys tried to keep, 
even up to the very last. There were numerous organiza- 
tions in the Company, but perhaps the most noted one was 
the combination known as the "Indian Bohos." This was 
the outgrowth of the "Indians." Before we left America 
the "Indians" included in their membership such men as 



84 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 



Serg-eant Aid rich, Corporals Class and vSlocomb, Privates 
Barnes, Hall, Frank Smith, Van Petersilge and Miller. 

The "Bohos" were Privates Herbert H. Davis, Frank Smith, 
Sergeant Hale and Harry Hall. I can hear Hall now as he 
used to call the boys in the morning. You could hear his 
voice for a quarter of a mile and there was no sleeping when 
once the "Indians" were fully aroused. Herbert Davis was 
another active member, and he and Hall were probably the 
strongest men physically in the entire outfit. Then there 
was Frank Smith and Sergeant Hale. These last four occupied 
the same quarters and always quite near the officers' tent. 
They were staunch supporters of their officers and made 
excellent campaigners. I shall ever remember their tender 
solicitude for and gentle care of poor Archie Hale. Their 
big hearts nearly broke when they had to leave him behind 
and realized they had probably seen him for the last time. 

Then there was an order, named by themselves, the 
"Toughenders," and their tent while we were camped in 
front of Santiago was familiarly called the " Patch." As I 
recall it they included among their members " Happy," Billy 
O'Connell, " Spider " Murphy, " Spide " DeVerger, Jerry 
Sullivan and John Thyne. To see O'Connell was enough to 
make one forget the blues if you had them and his smile was 
as bewitching as a sea-nymph. Murphy and DeVerger were 
always full of fun and kept the boys moving and good na- 
tured. Sullivan was of more than ordinary intelligence in 
some ways and his letters to the Turners Falls Reporter are 
familiar to many of you. 

We were not lacking in celebrities. Perhaps Fuchs con- 
tributed as much to this list as anyone in the Company. I 
shall never forget his appearance the morning after being 
encamped in the roadbed near Santiago Harbor. Some of 
the men were about used up and Fuchs made a pack horse 
of himself in his endeavor to carry three or four men's rolls, 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INK'V, U. S. V. 8$ 



etc. He was ordinarily o^ood natured, but when picked upon 
and crossed he would use the most extraordinary Gerinan 1 
have ever listened to. Perhaps one of the most disagreeable 
and responsible positions to fill in active campai^^ning- is that 
of First. Sergeant. 

Charles Class was the Orderly Sergeant, and though he 
made mistakes, (and who of iis did not?) he made a good non- 
commissioned officer and did his duty to the best of his abil- 
ity. I could always rely upon him and he was one of my 
best supporters and a hard and conscientious worker. I re- 
member a fad the First Sergeant had, and that was in always 
detailing Spaulding for anything and everything. It was 
not because he had anything against him, but Spaulding was 
always so willing and uncomplaining that it was a great 
temptation tot work him, especially during the last few 
weeks, when it was so hard to find men well enough to go on 
detail. I really had to interfere and lessen Spaulding's re- 
sponsibilities, it was so apparent he was being overworked. 

Sergeant Class was quite ill before we left Santiago and at 
times very much out of his head. Like a great many others, 
he became disheartened and was on the point of giving up 
the struggle for life on more than one occasion. I had to 
abuse him and use very strong language to him as well as to 
others to put them on their mettle and continue the fight for 
their lives. He has since told me that my harsh treatment 
probably saved his life and that he never laid it up against 
me. I certainly used this means for their good, otherwise I 
could never have seemed unkind to any of those poor strug- 
gling fellows whom I had learned to love and admire. 

Corporal Class was another one who made a good fight and 
won out. I did not expect he could stand the voyage home 
he was so weak and sick. I remember what a deplorable 
condition he was in when the ambulance reached the store- 
houses near the dock. He, with Fred Brown and Goland, 



86 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

was completely helpless. I left him in charge of a private, 
with instructions not to leave him a minute during my ab- 
sence. I hired a Cuban Volante or " Go cart " to take them 
to the lighter alongside the wharf. 

When I came back I found the man I had left in charge 
had gone into a saloon near by and had purchased a couple 
of bottles of beer and was in the act of giving some to Class. 
In my rage I grabbed the bottles and dashed them to pieces 
on the pavement. My return at that moment probably saved 
the boy's life. At any rate the doctors told me it would have 
been a rank poi.son to his system in his condition. About 
two weeks before our departure from the island I had a par- 
tial attack of sunstroke. I was on duty as Officer of the Day, 
and my duties kept me out in the boiling sun in the middle 
of the day. I must have been pretty ill for some of my su- 
perior officers have since told me they did not think I would 
pull through. I was examined by a contract doctor, who pro- 
nounced my trouble yellow fever. This .so angered me that 
I got up and dressed myself and staggered out and insisted 
I was all right. Perhaps this exertion saved my life, for I be- 
gan to pick up immediately. 

Our payrolls had to be made up at this time and I had de- 
tailed Private Barnes as Company Clerk to assist me. Mala- 
ria got the best of him and he had to give up. I had no one 
else strong enough to do the work, and after working at it 
myself until I was so weak I couldn't stand up, I found a 
man in one of the other Companies who was a good penman, 
and although sick himself, the compensation I offered him 
for his assistance was too great a temptation and he helped 
me out. 

One of the saddest, and at the same time most interesting, 
cases, was that of the Captain's servant, Jacob Stark. Stark 
had been a member of Company L, M. V. M., for a number 
of years and was very anxious to go into the United States 



CO. L, 2ND REG, MASS. INF'V. U. S. V. g? 



service. He was thrown out in the physical examination for 
some slight defect, and it just about broke the poor fellow's 
heart. So anxious was he to accompany us that he begged 
me to take him as m.y servant. I really did not need a ser- 
vant, but I had not the heart to refuse him. and .so he went 
with us. He was faithful and made himself invaluable to 
me. 

"Jake," as he was commonly called, kept fairly well until 
the latter part of July. About that time 'he got very home- 
sick and not being in service he a.sked me if I was willing he 
should go home. He was encouraged in the hope that he 
might get back, because he had known of a similar case where 
a civilian had gone back to the States a few days previous. 

I told him I was willing he should go. but advised him to 
stay and go with us, and expressed the hope that we would 
go .soon. But he was so anxious to try to get passage that 
I sent him over to Santiago with a detail, and when they re- 
turned at night they informed me Jake had secured pas.sage 
on the "Miami" which was to sail next day. The following 
day another party of my men .saw Stark in Santiago and he 
showed his papers entitling him to pa.ssage and a pass from 
the boat to Santiago. He said the boat had been delayed 
twenty-four hours, but would sail next day. That was the 
last we saw of him and we supposed he was home when we 
landed at Montauk. It seems, from later knowledge of the 
affair, that he was taken ill on the docks and placed in the 
Nautical hospital in Santiago suffering from typhoid fever. 

General Wood, in his report to the family later, wrote that 
civilian Stark had been sick at the hospital and his recovery 
had been expected, as he was so far convalescent as to be up 
and about, but that through some indiscretion on his own part 
he had a relapse and died at the ho.spital, wSeptember lo, 1898. 
The first knowledge of his wherealiouts and death was made 



88 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



known throug-h the War Department's list of deaths at San- 
tiago, published in the daily papers. 

OUR TRIP HOME ON THE "MOBILE." 

At last came the welcome news that we were to vo back 
to the States. Our trip home on the "Mobile" was a sad 
one. After the first night our men had as good quarters as 
any on the boat. 

When we boarded the transport we found the Eighth and 
Twenty-second had occupied the whole boat and taken pos- 
session of all the hammocks. I turned robber that night 
and stole eig-hteen hammocks and a lot of bread, canned 
beans, etc. I felt justified in doing it. The next day I used 
diplomacy on the Captain, third officer, steward, cook and 
baker, with the result that my men had probably the best 
food served on the boat. They certainly had more whole- 
some food than I received in the saloon of the transport. 

I conferred with Major Fairbanks, who was the only field 
officer not incapacitated at the time, with the result that he 
convinced General Ludlow that the Second was not getting 
its deserts. We certainly had good quarters after that. I 
assisted Major Fairbanks and we straightened out the diffi- 
culty, and assigned the Companies to their new quarters. I 
recall one Company of the Twenty-second Infantry housed 
directly under the horses. We felt sorry for them, but we 
had all we could do to look out for ourselves. 

As we slowly crept out of the harbor we passed quite close 
to the wreck of the"Reina Mercedes," sunk by our fleet July 4, 
and the masts and funnels of the collier "Merrimac," the 
"Cork in the bottle," sunk by Lieutenant Hobson and his 
men. 

Before us loomed up the entrance to the port of Santiago, 
an entrance so beautiful as to defy description. This key to 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 89 



the harbor is but 600 feet wide, and protected on the one 
side by Morro Castle and on the other by the Socapa battery. 
The sight of this old, yellow castle, El Morro, almost makes 
you rub your eyes and doubt what they show you. The 
high, green bank has broken off almost precipitously, and at 
the fractured edge is this ancient Moorish stronghold which 
extends down the steep incline to the very surface of the 
water. Morro Castle, at Havana, is modern beside it. It 
has little belfry arches here and there, and singular towers 
and barred window sifting light into cavernous dungeons, 
and stairs hollowed by the feet of generations. It has been 
used principally by the vSpaniards as a political prison. Lieu- 
tenant Hobson and his men were confined in this structure 
prior to their exchange and release. 

On the ocean side under the fort, the sea has cut deeply 
into the rock, making huge caverns beneath, and it is said 
by the natives that boatmen who ventured into these caves 
never returned. We had the experience of being held up 
by a United States Man of War, the "Yankee," but after we 
were recognized, the tars and marines all lined up near the 
rail and gave us a three times three. The Captain of our 
boat was an Englishman and probably did not enjoy being 
held up, but after the "Yankee" had fired a couple of shots as 
a warning, he decided to lay to and be interrogated. 

We were on the "Mobile" less than a week, but what un- 
told misery the men suffered in those few last days. It was 
not so much the treatment and hardships as it was the re- 
action and change of climate and life which got in its fearful 
work.. Quite a number of men in the Regiment and one 
officer succumbed before we reached our native soil. I think, 
all told, there were eight buried at sea. The enlisted men 
were buried from the stern, and the officer, Lieutenant Ves- 
per, from the port side of the vessel. It .seemed all the more 
sad because they were almost home. 



90 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

Lieutenant Mason had to give up the day we went on board 
the "Mobile." He was probably, when he enlisted, as strong 
a man physically as anyone in the command. But the hard 
work and mental strain, together with the poor food, water 
and exposure, brought him down finally. That he was nat- 
urally of a strong constitution is evidenced when I tell you 
he was sick with typhoid-malarial fever for at least a week 
before he had any medical treatment. He was a splendid 
campaigner and did his whole duty in the Company to my 
entire satisfaction. His work on detail and outpost duty was 
highly commended by his superior officers. If I was to go 
through a similar experience I would ask for no better ofiicer 
and man to assist me. and would elect, if I had my choice, 
Lieutenant Mason. He had a hard fiu:ht for his life after he 
reached the hospital at "Montauk," and it was several weeks 
before he was well enough to be sent home. 

I shall never forget a little incident in which Lieutenant 
Mason figured while we were camped in front of Santiago. 
He had been detailed in charge of twenty-four men, two 
from each Company, to "police" the Headquarters camp. 
Policing is a military term which, applied to civil life, in a 
measure refers to house-cleaning. I was in Colonel Clark's 
tent at the time and we were ear witnesses to this little inci- 
dent. A couple of non-commissioned staff officers had a tent 
not far from a dump-hole where the refuse matter was buried. 
They either did not realize that they were enlisted men or 
were too lazy to keep the vicinity of their quarters in a clean- 
ly condition. We heard the Lieutenant say to his detail, 
"You men police up to within eight feet of that tent and no 
nearer; if they want to make a pig-pen of their quarters let 
them live in their filth or clean it up themselves." It is 
needless to say the non-commissioned officers received or- 
ders from the Colonel to clean up their quarters. The 
Lieutenant was a man that rarely complained of being over- 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 9 1 



worked. He had been out all night on outpost duty and had 
then been detailed as above related. After .seeing the head- 
quarters of the regiment properly policed, he reported and 
retired to his tent to get some well earned rest. He had 
hardly gotten to sleep before an order came down from head- 
quarters detailing him for outpost duty for the next twenty- 
four hours. He went up to Headquarters to report and told 
the Colonel he was sorry to be so popular. Our Regimen- 
tal Commander saw at once it was a mistake on the part of 
the Adjutant in detailing Mason and had him relieved at 
once. 

CAMP WYKOFF. MONTAUK, L. I. 

We finally reached " Montauk," and what a mistake it was 
to take us to such a change of climate as we had to endure 
there. I have seen the thermometer register from 119 to 
1 30 degrees in Cuba. When we reached Long Lsland it could 
not have been over 60 to 65 degrees and the wind blowing a 
gale across this narrow stretch. It seems as if it would have 
been better to have landed us in Florida or North Carolina. 
It would have saved the lives of many who had not the 
strength to stand the climatic change. 

The morning after our arrival at Montauk the men were 
landed, and those who were able to walk were marched to the 
detention camp. Nearly all the men of Company L had im- 
proved somewhat in health on the sea trip and we had but 
two men in the .sick bay, or hospital proper, on board the "Mo- 
bile." These men were Privates Goland and Fred Brown. 
I arranged to have Lieutenant Mason and the sickest of our 
men sent to the hospital, direct from the boat. There was 
a squad of our men too weak to walk to the camp, and I ar- 
ranged that these men should ride up in an army wagon to 
our camp. I placed them in charge of Sergeant Chapin and 
he was one of the last of our Company to leave the " Mobile." 



92 CO. L, 2NU MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

For some unknown reason my plans in regard to these men 
miscarried and they were taken to the hospital. Sergeant 
Lobdell was in this party. After I had gotten my Company 
off from the boat I collapsed myself, and had to be carried 
to the detention camp. I was so ill that I was relieved from 
command of my Company and a Lieutenant from one of the 
other Companies placed temporarily in charge. This officer 
had a chance to make a record for himself, but failed and the 
Company would have been better off without him. 

We remained four days at detention camp under the 
yellow flag of quarantine. During these few days the 
men failed in health rapidly. Most of the cases were com- 
plete exhaustion, following malarial or typhoid fevers and 
dysentery. The sudden and extreme change of climate was 
too much for the boys and we lost several by death. 

Private Frank P. Norton was the first to die. He passed 
away at the hospital August 22nd. He was a conscientious fel- 
low and did his duty uncomplainingly. Norton was the trader 
of the Company and always had something he had picked 
up, for sale or exchange. Another good soldier, Private 
Lague, died the 26th. He was followed by Private Peter J. 
Campbell, who died August 28th. Campbell was looked upon 
as the best looking fellow in the Companv. His was a quiet 
disposition and he had many warm friends in the Company. 
I remember how disappointed the men were because Camp- 
bell just failed of being appointed orderly to the Colonel at a 
guard-mount. It was customary for the Adjutant to pick 
out the best looking and most soldierly man as the Colonel's 
orderly. Campbell was complimented, but another private 
was detailed. 

Sergeant Charles E. Chapin died the 30th. He was one of 
the most conscientious fellows I ever knew and one of my best 
non-commissioned officers. In his devotion to duty and sol- 
dierly qualities he resembled Archie Hale, and my heart was 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF Y, U. S. V. 93 

heavy when I learned of his death. With all respect to the 
living, it seemed as if some of my very best and most reliable 
men were taken. The old saying-, "The good die young." cer- 
tainly proved true in the early taking off of these young 
heroes. 

Frortithe detention camp we were sent to the General Infan- 
try camp. I was granted leave of absence and sent home in 
charge of a physician, Doctor Brown of North Adams, who 
kindly offered to take charge of me and see me safely home. 
I recall that the Secretary of War was on the train at Mon- 
tauk and shook my hand. I thought a lot, but said nothing. 
Too much cannot be said in praise of the work done by the 
delegation sent down to Montauk from Greenfield and other 
towns. They worked like beavers and they will always have 
my gratitude, which extendsnot only to them, but to all those 
who contributed so generously in time and money for our 
relief and comfort. The people of Greenfield and Turners 
Falls may well be proud of the record which they made in 
caring in such a generous and patriotic manner for the boys 
who represented those towns and vicinity in the late war. 
In those last days kind friends brought cheer to those poor 
fellows and a wealth of loving sympathy which they craved. 

I was in New York, at the Murray Hill Hotel, when the re- 
quest was made by telephone, by a strong supporter of the 
Regiment and an influential friend of the President, that the 
Second Regiment be sent home at once. I know fully the 
circumstances connected with this event and too much praise 
cannot be given to the honorable gentleman who brought 
about so much good to the Regiment. 

THE DEPARTURE FOR HOME ON FURLOUOH. 

The Company and Regiment left Montauk by steamer 



94 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

"Block Island" for New London, August 27th, where large 
crowds met the returned heroes, and paid them the greatest 
possible attention. There tliey took trains and were hurried 
towards Springfield. It seems that Private Zeigler of our 
Company had received a box of frosted cake and other lux- 
uries, and insisted upon eating them. Some of the boys re- 
monstrated with him, but, as he expressed it, he was going 
to have one square meal. Poor fellow, he became violently 
sick, and was taken from the train at Springfield in an un- 
conscious condition and taken to a hospital, where he died 
August 2gth. 

COMPANY L REACHES GREENFIELD. 

The train reached Greenfield at about 4 o'clock p. m., and 
a large and sympathetic crowd of friends and relatives had 
gathered to meet the returning heroes. Tenderly they car- 
ried them to their homes or sent .them to the hospital. In 
some cases it would have been better to have sent men to 
the hospital when their friends and relatives insisted upon 
taking them home with them. 

The excitement was too great in some instances and the 
poor fellows, whose bodies were racked with pain and fever, 
could not stand the strain and died from sheer exhaustion. 

Among these was Peter A. Greenia. He drove to Conway 
that night, and the citizens met him with a drum corps and 
held a great demonstration with red fire, etc. He died on 
September ist. Another sad case was that of Timothy J. 
Murphy of Turners Falls. He died September 6th, at his 
home. Murphy had been very ill and was obliged to ride to 
the wharf in Santiago on a load of baggage. I had him ordered 
off from the army wagon at first, but after thinking it over 
I decided he was too weak to walk and let him ride. I have 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 95 

always been glad I did so, for I am afraid my conscience 
would have troubled me after poor Tim died if I had denied 
him that request. 

The men who were left in Cuba as yellow fever suspects 
came up later on the hospital boats, and, for the most part, 
were better off in consequence. Poor Patnode, however, 
contracted dysentery and died in a hospital September 1st, 
just after reaching Boston. 

Nearly a year after our muster out, Henry M. vStewart, the 
Wagoner of the Company, died t)f consumption at his home 
in Greenfield. He was quite ill and in the hospital much of 
the time, in Cuba, and after his return to this country had an 
attack of pneumonia which left him in a very weakened con- 
dition and he died September 29th, 1899. 

After nearly four months of hardship, bloodshed, sickness 
and death, the gallant little Company which left Greenfield 
were gathered about their own firesides, and the horrors of 
Cuba, drifting like a nightmare through their clouded mem- 
ories, was dispelled by a loving atmosphere which nothing 
but devotion to flag and country would ever call them away 
from again. 

Thursday, November 3rd, 1898, six months from the day 
they left Greenfield, Company L was mustered out with the 
Regiment, at the State Armory in Springfield. Previous to 
this, and from October 24th, the Company was garrisoned at 
the Armory and on light duty. That last gathering of the 
Regiment was a sad one. its ranks, decimated by bullets 
and disea.se, its remnant Companies but ghastly skeletons of 
their former strength. They went away in the full strength 
and buoyancy of youth ; they returned, many of them, de- 
crepit and broken down old men. 

A grateful nation, a liberty loving people will ever cherish 
their memory and inscribe their names upon the pages of 



96 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



history, with those who have fought and died for their coun- 
try and its flag. 

THE EXPEDITION TO CUBA TO BRING BACK THE BODIES OF 

OUR DEAD. 

In February, 1899, an expedition, partly fitted out by the 
Government, went to Cuba to bring back the bodies of our 
dead. The personal expenses of those who represented the 
different organizations were paid by private subscriptions. 
Private Wise of Turners Falls, by request of the people of 
that town, went to look after the bodies of the boys who 
came from that village. George W. Hale of South Deer- 
field, father of vSergeant Archie C. Hale, also went with the 
party, and through his untiring and kind efforts all the 
bodies, but that of Jo.seph M. Lanois, were recovered and 
brought .safely back. Lanois was buried in a trench with a 
number of other poor fellows and it was impossible to iden- 
tify his remains. After the return of the expedition, mili- 
tary funerals were held in Greenfield, Turners Falls, and 
South Deerfield, and the highest honors paid to the memory 
of tho.se heroes who had given up their lives in the .service of 
their country. The accompanying sketch, through courtesy 
of George W. Hale, will be of inte^'est to my readers: 



SKETCH OF CUBAN EXPEDITION FOR THE RECOVERY OF 

OUR DEAD. 
By George W. Hale, Father of Sergeant Archie C. Hale, wlio died at Santiago, August 15, '98. 

From New York at noon, February 4th, 1899, after many 
vexatious delays, the .steamer Roumanian cut her way out 
through the harbor ice to find the summer land. Starting 
upon an expedition, grand in conception, unique in hi.story, 
sad in its reality. It would be idle to dwell upon the inade- 




■'■* 

Hi 



M. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'Y, U. S. V. 97 

qnate provision made for our transportation, or many another 
ill that we fell heir to. We dismiss them as accidents of 
war, calamities of progress. Misfortune makes the whole 
world kin. And so our seeming difficulties, including mal 
de mer, made us the second day out a very sympathetic 
family. We had a quiet, uneventful voyage, measured by 
winter and summer days, enlivened only by a passing sail, or 
some joke at the expense of a fellow traveller. Owing to 
some mistake on the part of the writer, all flying fish were 
called Hale's birds during the trip. 

Arriving at San Juan, Porto Rico, February loth, we found 
that our steamer had been loaded with the expectation that 
we would land first at Santiago. Consequently, nearly every- 
thing that was necessary for carrying on the work was 
buried under tons of general freight. 

By the delay thus occasioned an opportunity was given 
those who wished to wander about this quaint old city, sur- 
rounded by its walls that are crumbling with the centuries, 
study its strange pleasure-loving, poverty-stricken people, en- 
joy its drowsy noons and star-crowned nights. Realize the 
poverty and misery surrounded by this veritable garden of 
the gods, and then picture to oneself the possibility of uplift- 
ment and ongoing for this people, when hand in hand they 
shall walk with us out into a brighter day, a better civili- 
zation. 

Upon the morning of February 14th, bidding adieu to San 
Juan, with its castles and vine-clad walls, we watched the 
while the beauteous picture of her mountains, sunkissed to 
gold and bronze, and saw them fade away ere we realized 
that we were bound for Ponce. 

The day passed all too .soon, and the night, with no linger- 
ing twilight, fell down upon us while we watched a light 
along the coast, far up among the mountains, that made us 
think of home, and conjure up a thousand fancies as to who 



98 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



and what the people might be that kindled it, their hopes, 
their daily lives, and, .some might question, their destiny. 
And so the night wore on until at i a. m. we fell asleep 
with Ponce lights in v^iew. 

With the morning new difficulties met us. vSmall-pox 
was raging at this port, and no one could land with the in- 
tention of returning to the ve.s.sel. This decision led most 
of the Massachusetts men to take passage that evening upon 
The Obdam for vSantiago. But for tho.se who remained, the 
quarantine was soon removed, and we .shall ever have a 
pleasant memory of its busy roadway from the .sea. its old 
cathedrals, and around and above all, its pyramidal moun- 
tains, peak on peak. 

We remained here until February 23rd, having then on 
board 125 bodies. This did not complete the work at this 
place, so a detachment of men under Captain Massey was 
left at this port. And after having made a trip to Maya- 
gueze for ice, which was .sadly needed, we started at 3.30 
p. m., Feb. 23rd, for Santiago, arriving upon Feb. 26th, 7.00 
a. m. The bodies of the Second Regiment men were im- 
mediately located, and we anticipated a speedy accomplish- 
ment of our work, but delay after delay occurred until over 
a week elapsed before an3'thing was done. 

In the meantime. General Wood assured us that when 
work was commenced, the Second Regiment bodies would 
be the first to receive attention. Such was not the case, 
however. Bloody Bend and San Juan Hill being the initial 
working points, but by persistent personal effort, and by 
superintending the work ourselves, the fathers succeeded 
upon March nth in getting the bodies of their sons. This 
was soon followed by activity of endeavor all along the Sec- 
ond Regiment line, resulting the following week in getting 
all the bodies ready for shipment. 

We now petitioned for transportation home by first steamer. 



CO. L, 2ND REG. MASS. INF'V, U. S. V. 



99 



This finally led to the deeision to send the Roumanian home 
with the bodies then ready, about 700. Consequently, at 
12. a.m., Mareh 23rd, we eommeneed our homeward journey, 
which ended at New York six days later. 

And as we say i^ood-bye to Santiago, with its dirty, broken 
streets, that have been dirtier, we try to forget the tragedies 
of its encircling trenches, the bloodstains of its hills. We 
listen only to its music, we remember only the quiet, sacred 
nooks where beneath God's shadows we found our dead. 
And taking them as it were in our arms — each one his own — 
we bring them back, and once more lay them to rest at 
home, placing upon each grave a hero's laurels, and leaving 
daily there our footprints, because they were our boys. 

LofC. 




A TRAGEDY OF THE HOME-COMING. 



Through the kindness of Edward Branch Lyman, the 
author, I publish with this volume the story entitled " The 
Tragedy of the Home Coming." This beautifully written, 
but sad tale, is founded partly upon facts and is of especial 
interest because it relates to one of Company L's dead heroes 
Joseph M. Lanois of Riverside, Mass. In justice to the com- 
manding officer of the Company, it should be stated that the 
family of Lanois were notified of his death, and a notice of 
it appeared in the public press shortly after it occurred. As 
one member of the family explained, the sister thought the 
report might not be true, so went to Greenfield to meet her 
brother. 

" She had been one of the first to arrive at the station. Roses 
bloomed unnaturally in her pale cheeks. They had begun to bloom 
that morning, when, in her faded calico gown, she had gone to the 
superintendent of the big paper mill in the toil-worn little town of 
Turners Falls and had asked if she might take time off to go and 
see her brother's company return. And the superintendent, whose 
heart chanced not to be one of the machine-made kind, — with a 
look of some wonderment on his face, had said she might. And as 
she flitted out, he had turned to one of the clerks and said: "That's 
just the difference between the French and our other foreigners 
here — they have the sentimental and the emotional in them." 




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A TRAGEDY OF THE HOME-COMING. lOI 



Out she had sped — past the bii^ bulletin board that read, "Co. L 
reaches Greenfield 4.30 this afternoon," — back to the low, brick 
row of company flats, and up to the two poor, hot little rooms 
where she was the housekeeper — a lonely little housekeeper ever 
since that early summer mornin|c when she had so proudly, yet so 
tearfully, helped her soldier boy — ^her brother — into his uniform. 

I'he roses deepened in her cheeks as she put on her best things — 
the bright-colored gown that made her figure look so neat. Then 
she put his pipe where he always found it after the day's work was 
done; gave one last glance at the little especial provision she had 
made for supper for her poor, tired soldier boy — and started on the 
way, feeling that at last, all her longing and waiting, all her lone- 
someness, were almost at an end, and that soon her little family of 
two would be united again. The hum of the mill, the daily and 
nightly heat, had all seemed so unusually wearisome while he had 
been away. They had lived so much together — so much apart 
from the others around them; — they had tried to live good lives, 
remembering the sweet-faced mother who had faded away when they 
so needed her. 

She was soon at Greenfield station; the crowd had begun to grow 
in the bright sunlight of the beautiful, late-summer afternoon. She 
could but think of the contrast to that dreadful May morning of 
rain and wind, when the crowd had gathered at daybreak to see 
"the bo\^s" off. "Just off to camp for awhile," they had said. She 
remembered that last kiss— right in the big crowd. But the war 
had come on, and there had been awful fighting. Tidings of this 
had penetrated through the din of the mill, had reached her in her 
isolation and had made her pray more fervently than ever for her 
brother. 

She got a place ne.xt to one of the ropes. The crowd poured all 
about her — strangers all. An hour and more they stood waiting, 
waiting. The roses were in full bloom on her cheeks now. From 
her vantage ground she could see the track the tram would come 
on. She noticed the flags draped over the doorway— "Co. L, Wel- 
come Home." This she partly spelled out. She saw the men with 
the red badges in the rope-cleared space— the police, the reporters, 



I02 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



the doctors. She saw women around her — their pale faces, their 
expectancy. She felt lonely. 

Suddenly, long, moaning whistles made the crowd press closer; 
then the gongs of the shops along the tracks began to sing a sad sort 
of song; the rumble of the train was felt under foot; the crowd mur- 
mured. Various cries were heard: "It's almost here." Small boys 
yelled. "Hush !"— the word went round. A silent welcome had been 
the plan. There was a roar like the roar of the sea— the train came 
tearing in, not tenderly, not silently. It seemed to crush the heart 
out of the crowd. Silence!— yea, verily, silence! For the train 
had stopped. Shattered men in blue were being helped from the 
cars, each with two strong supporters— doctors or older-time vet- 
erans. Those ghastly, ghostly faces! those thin, weak forms!— the 
pity of them! 

The carriages rolled out through the porte-cochere, each bearing 
Its crumbling bit of humanity. There were gasps of recognition- 
tears, expressions of horror; and yet joys, of those who would fain 
have flung themselves upon the "boys in blue" they had so longed 
for, but who, so weak, so changed, seemed almost irresponsive to 
the dear home faces of which they had never lost sight, even amid 
the hosts of war and fever specters. 

She could wait no longer. She must get to her boy. Where was 
he? He had not passed to the line of carriages. Who should help 
him but she? She crouched under the rope, and, deerlike, rushed 
to the wan, mummy-like band who had dropped to the seats of the 
waiting-room. Into all the faces she peered, eagerly, lest one 
should be taken away to a carriage before she had a chance to look. 
A horror came over her. Suppose she could not recognize him:— 
but she would, he was so tall, so handsome, so lovely— especially in 
uniform. 

A badged man noticed the slight figure with the brilliant cheek.s— 
so young, yet so strangely old. "Whom are you looking for, girl?" 

"My brother, ," giving his name. 

"God!" said he, fervently, and instinctively bowed his head; then 
turned quickly, rushed to another badged man, and said: "She don't 
know! God, I can't tell her." 



A TRAGEDY OF THE HOME-COMING. 103 



"Don't know what? Who don't?" 

Then he told the other badged man that she was the sister of 
the boy who had been one of the f^rst to fall in that gallant charge 
to victory at El Caney-his had been one of the very first deaths 
reported in the 2d regiment. All the world had known of it-ex- 
cept the little sister, deep in the mill-whirl by day, deep in prayer 
and longings for her boy after the day's weary grind was over. 

Neither could break the word to the now pale, statuesque being, 
whose big eyes stared. But the man for the word was there' 
Many a harsh word had he, as judge in one of the state's highest 
tribunals, said with the maximum of kindness and the minimum of 
anything that cuts or adds sting to sufficient punishment. 

He saw here a duty. His voice was gentle. His face was kindly, 
full of emotion, shadowed with sorrow— and yet there was in it a 
sustaining influence, a helpfulness. For a moment the young form 
seemed to turn to stone. Then the face relaxed its strain. The 
tears fled forth. The head bowed. 

Death, here is thy sting! 

No last word to the brother! Weeks in the past! In an un- 
marked, hastily-made grave he lies! Hero! 

The mill grinds on. The roses deepen. 'Tis very lonely house- 
keeping in the little rooms in the low, brick row of company flats." 

"COMPANY L." 

(Dedicated to Company L. Second Massachusetts United (States \'olnnteers ) 

There were only two of the circle left, 

The sister so loving and true, 
And the brother, who looked so handsome and tall 

In his coat of army blue. 
For the war was on and he longed to go, 

vSo she bade him a tearful farewell. 
And watched him proudly marching away 

With the boys of Company L. 

Away to dread scenes of carnage and death; 
To battle's tumult and roar; 



I04 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 



Aud the spiteful hiss of the Mauser balls 

On Cuba's war-swept shore. 
How bravely they followed the beckoning flag, 

Where its blue folds rose and fell, 
Let history record the story some day 

Of the boj'S of Company L. 

She turned again to the busy mill. 

With its ceaseless clatter aud din, 
While the loom of B^ate, threads of somber hue, 

In silence began to spin. 
But the days were bright when a letter came 

With the news that all was well, 
That soon he'd be coming home again 

With the boys of Company L- 

So time went on till the wires flashed, 

O'er the land and the blue sea foam. 
The tidings glad to each waiting heart 

That the Second was ordered home. 
And the stern man smiled at the sunny face, 

As he asked her her errand to tell. 
"I must go, you know, for he's coming to-da)' 

With the boys of Company L-" 

For hours she Avaits with the anxious throng. 

Who close to the station press; 
When the whistle sharp on the wind is borne 

Of the Springfield day express. 
But the cheers died out in a wail of grief, 

And the waving kerchiefs fell : — 
Were those ghastly faces and wasted forms 

The boys of Company L! 

From one to another she eager gazed. 

But no well-known form appears; 
And the roses paled in the winsome face, 

While the eyes held a hint of tears. 
The soldier who had faced, on the firing line. 

The Spanish shot and shell. 
Shrank back when she asked for the brother who went 

With the boys of Company L- 



A TRAGEDY OF THE II().ME-C().MI.\(j. 



lO: 



And whiter still grew his pallid face 

At those eyes with their look of woe; 
To a comrade lie turned, "You tell her, I can't; 

M}- God! she doesn't know 
That the day we stormed El Caney's height 

He was one of the first that fell; 
That we huried him there with his comrades dear. 

From the ranks of Company I^. 

Jackson. Mich. — Lr/.zJii S. Tayi.or. 




HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF GREENFIELD 
IN THE WARS. 



GREENFIELD IN THE REVOLUTION. 

When the war, which severed the colonies from the rule 
of Great Britain with the fights at Lexington and Concord 
in April, 1775. Greenfield, then a town of less than five hun- 
dred people, was prepared to do its share in the cause of 
liberty. There were two Military Companies in town at that 
time. Although the Company officers were unwilling to lead 
them into the continental service for fear of what they, 
thought would be the crime of treason to the crown, the 
men, like hardy sons of old New England, were ready to take 
up arms and help to throw off the yoke of King George. 
They thought it better to die in defence of right than to re- 
main subjects to a despotic government. 

" What Kings decree, the soldier must obey, 
Waged against foes; and when the wars are o'er, 
Fit only to maintain despotic power." 

— Drydcn. 

The Story is told that when the news of the Concord mas- 
sacre was heralded throughout the land, the people assem- 
bled at the Greenfield common and when the courier came 
in they were so wroth they could not wait for men, but called 
for the Company drummer to beat the long roll for volun- 



I 



GREENFIELD IN THE WARS 

lO/ 



teers. Scarce had the first note sounded when the hardy 
young sergeant, Hastings, though admonished by his Com 
pany commander that he would have his neck stretched for 
It, stood out and exclaimed, "Who next to risk his life for 
his country?" It was hard to tell who answere.I first, for near- 
ly all were in line at once. 

Early morning found the Greenfield soldiers on the nx-id 
to Cambridge to join the army. 

Another Company was soon made up and put into the 
field. Men with stouter hearts than these Greenfield boys 
never took up arms. Braver than they never fouo-lu It 
might well be said: ^ 

" Those barren fields offered man and steed, the soldier and his sword." 

How could hirelings expect to conquer men fightincr for 
their liberty? Their mothers at home were working "ion- 
into the night to cook the meager food and run bullets fo"r 
their boys to use against the foreign foe. 

The term of service at that time was short; but we read of 
the Greenfield boys as being eager to go wherever their 
country called. They were in the siege at Boston ; at Ticon- 
deroga; in the campaign against Burgoyne when he at- 
tempted to separate New England from the other colonies; 
at the battle of Bennington, and many other engagements. 

One might think from this record that the sons of Green- 
field loved war ; but not so, for when the war was over what 
were left of them returned to their homes and farms and be- 
came the sturdy founders of the new nation. 

GREENFIELD IN THE REBELLION. 

The Greenfield Guards, Company G, M. V M., were organ- 
ized in 1853, and at the breaking (uit of the war had won a 
good reputation for drill and discipline. They were at first 
attached to the Eleventh Regiment, which later became the 



lOS CO. L, 2X1) MASS., IN SPANISII-AMKRICAN WAR 



Twelfth Regiment, and finally, at about the time of the break- 
ing out of the civil war, became Company (>, Tenth Regi- 
ment, M. V. M. When the news of the fall of Sumter 
reached Greenfield, Capt. E. E. Day, modest and unassuming, 
but the right man in the right place, raised the vStars and 
Stripes over his armory and recruited his Company to the 
war standard. Through the spring of that eventful year 
there was constant drill for those Company G boys, often 
taking the form of long marches into the country. 

At last the long expected orders to go to the front arrived, 
and on the morning of the 14th of June, 1861, Companies G 
and H, of the Tenth, were drawn up in line in front of the 
armory for a farewell address by the venerable Dr. Chand- 
ler, before embarking for Springfield to join their Regiment. 

Soldiers all seem to have a weakness for the fair sex. Just 
before the departure of Company G, each man was presented 
with a pincushion by the young ladies of Miss Russell's 
school. And it is safe to say wherever you find a Company 
G man, you will find one of those pincushions. 

After three long years of service about twenty men, all 
that was left of Company G, returned home after having 
served in most of the battles of the Army of the Potomac. 

In the fall of '61 the Twenty-seventh Regiment was raised 
and although there was no Company from Greenfield, twenty- 
four of her men enlisted in the Regiment. 

Early in '62 the Thirty-fourth Regiment enlisted forty- 
seven men in Greenfield. 

All enlistments to this time were for three years. In 
August, '62, the President issued a call for 75,000 men for 
three months ; sixty-five men were required from Greenfield. 
Company A, Fifty-second Regiment, was promptly organized 
and in a few days had enlisted the required number of men. 

This Regiment was with General Banks in Louisiana, and 
at the expiration of its term of enlistment, as its presence 



GREENFIELD IN THE WARS. 



109 



was needed, it did not return home. After the fall of Port 
Hudson, General Banks announced that the Regiment that 
had remained after its term should have the honor of being 
the first to ascend the Mississippi. The Fifty-second was 
accorded this honor. 

The Fifty-second was the last organization that went from 
Greenfield. After this, recruits were sent to the various Reg- 
ments then in the field. 

The Greenfield boys experienced the jOys and sorrows 
of war. They were in the battles of Fair Oaks, Malvern 
Hill, Fredericksburg, The Wilderness, Gettysburg, vSpottsyl- 
vania, Washington, Roanoke and many other conflicts in 
which they rendered valiant service. 

A copy of Company orders and the roster of Co. (t, i ith 
Reg. 6th Brigade, 3rd Div. M. V. M., Sep., 1855. follows: — 

MASSACHUSETTvS VOLUNTEER MILITIA. 

COMP.\NV ORDERS. 

To F. M. Thompson, Clerk of Co. G, nth Reg., 3rd Division. 

You are hereby ordered to warn, and give four days' notice, to all tlie 
Non-Comniissioned Officers and Privates of the Company under my com- 
mand, whose names are specified in the Roll annexed, by reading to each 
man in person, verbalh-, or by leaving at his last and usual place of abode, a 
written or printed Order, directing him to appear with the uniform, arms, 
and equipments required by law, at the Armory in Greenfield, on Tuesday, 
the nth day of Sept. inst., at 8 o'clock, in the forenoon, for military duty. 

Hereof fail not, and make return to me of your doings herein before the 
day of appearance. Dated at Greenfield, this 5th day of vSeptember, 1855. 

Signed 

WENDELL T. I).\VIS, 

Commanding Officer of Company G, 11 Regiment Battalion, 6th Hrig. 
3rd Div., M. V. M. 

RKTrRN. 
This Certifies that I have warned and notilied according to law all the 
undernamed Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates of the Com])any afore- 
said. Dated this Eleventh day of September, 1855. 

F. M. Thompson ] Signature of the person to whom 
/ the Order was directed. 



I lO 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



ROI.L. 



Briggs, Enoch 
Bridges, J. F. 
Bascom, Mosts P. 
Bell, Johu 
Coburn, J. P. 
Chapin, Heury h. 
Childs, J. P. 
Day, E. E. 
Day, Joseph S. 
Hawks, Hilkiah 
Ingersoll, Charles 
Jones, Sylvester 
Jones, Hosea A. 
Keith, George 
Keith, Charles 
Knights, Warren 
Knights, J. R. 
Lyon, David 
Mirick, H. D. 
Munu, C. H. 
Morgan, J. P. 
Megrath, A. W. 
Newhall, Albert 
Pierce, George 
Plumley, Charles 



Potter, Geo. W. 
Pierce, Samuel R. 
Pierce, William 
Rice, E. J. 
Robbius, PI. S. 
Reed, A. E. 
Remington, Lorenzo 
Remington, G. W. 
Rogers, Charles A. 
vStowe, S. A. 
Sibley, Truman 
vSibley, Tyler 
Stratton, E. A. 
Thayer, Edward 
Tywell, C. P. 
Thompson, J. W. 
Thompson, F. M. 
Wells, A. W. 
Warner, George 
Wells, J. W. 
Wells, Roswell 
Williams, Dwight 
Wells, George D. 
Wood, E. W. 
Wilson, Sewall. 



For several years following the close of the Civil war there 
was no military organization in Greenfield. 

About 1870, Company A of the Second Regiment was 
formed -in Greenfield and existed about ten years. The first 
Commander of this Military Company was B. S. Parker, Esq., 
and he was followed by Captain Anson Withey, and Gorhani 
D. Williams. Esq., in order named. After this Company was 
mu.stered out of the State service there was no Company in 
Greenfield until 1887, when the present Company L of the 
Second Regiment was formed. 












Facsimilik, Capt. Pikrce Commission as Divisional Tostmastiik. 



GREENFIKLD IX THE WAKS. ,,i 



GREENFIELD LRWIT INFANTRY. 

Company L, vSecond Regiment of Infantry, Massachnsetts 
Volunteer Militia, otherwise known as the Green held Lj.-ht 
Infantry, was organized November 21, 1887. The interest 
displayed in its formation can he readily appreciated, when 
it is understood that there were no less than twice the num- 
ber of applications for membership at that time than was 
necessary for the formation of the Company. 

The sixty-two men required for the full complement of the 
Company were mustered into the service of the Common- 
wealth of Massachusetts for the term of three years, under 
the direction of Brigadier-General Benjamin F. Bridges, then 
Colonel of the Second Regiment. General Bridges took a 
great interest in the formation of the Company and has al- 
ways been a staunch friend of the organization. 

The election of officers following the mustering in of the 
Company resulted in the choice of Hon. Franklin G. Fessen- 
den, Captain ; Fred E. Pierce, First Lieutenant ; Nathan D. 
Allen, Second Lieutenant. Mr. Allen was obliged to retire 
from the service shortly after on account of his health, and 
Thos. L. Comstock was elected to fill the vacancy. These 
officers were duly qualified, commissioned and assigned to 
duty as the officers of Company L. 

Judge Fessenden was deeply interested in the work of 
making a first-class Company and was rewarded with success 
and by being selected as one of Gov. Russell's military 
family, with the rank of Colonel. On his retiring from the 
Company, Fred E. Pierce was elected Captain. T. L. Com- 
stock was elected First Lieutenant and Henry H. Cutler, 
vSecond Lieutenant. April 17, 1891, Lieutenant Cutler was 
elected First Lieutenant to fill vacancy caused by resigna- 
tion of Thos. L. Comstock; Chas. H. Field was elected Sec- 
ond Lieutenant. May 6, 1892, an election was ordered to fill 
vacancy caused by resignation of Lieutenant Cutler, and C. 



112 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

H. Field was elected First Lieutenant. F. B. Felton suc- 
ceeded Lieutenant Field as Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant 
Felton resigned his commission April, 1894, and E. P. Har- 
rison, then Orderly Sergeant of the Compan}'-, was elected in 
his place. J. R. Bickford, Second Lieutenant, succeeded 
Lieutenant E. P. Harrison, who resigned his commission in 
April, 1895. Lieutenant Bickford resigned later and Fayette 
B. Mason was elected to fill vacancy. Upon reorganiza- 
tion of Company L after the Spanish War, Lieutenant Mason 
was elected First Lieutenant, to succeed the late Lieutenant 
Chas. H. Field, who lost his life in the battle of El Caney. 
Lieutenant Mason declined the election and Thos. D. Mur 
phy was elected. Lieutenant Murphy was not able to pass 
the physical examination, owing to his not having recovered 
from hardships of Spanish war, and Don A. Aid rich was 
elected to fill the vacancy. Captain Pierce was elected Major 
on Feb. 13, 1900, and at an election held to fill the vacancy 
of Captain, Frederick A. Draper was elected Captain of Com- 
pany L. Both Lieutenant Aldrich and Lieutenant Mason 
received the votes of the Company, but declined to serve. 

The Company has always worked hard for a good .stand- 
ing in the Regiment, and holding such, the town has many 
reasons to be proud of the Company who represents it. 

EX-MEMBERS OF COMPANY L SECOND REGIMENT 
INFANTRY, M. V. M. 

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 

Plon. Franklin G. FVssenden, Lieut. N. D. Allen, 

Maj. F. U. Pierce, " F". B. Felton, 

Lieut. T. L. Comstock, " E. P. Harrison, 

" H. H. Cutler, " J. R. Bickford, 

" C. H. Field, " T. D. Murphy. 



EX-MKMHKkS OF COMrANV L 



I I 



NON-COMMISSIONKD OFFICERS. 



F. C. Aiston, 

J. L. S. Barton, 
E. H. Baker, 

G. R. Beebe, 
A. T. Beals, 

L. B. Boutwcll, 
E. J. Davis, 
J. W. Elder, 
F". P. Forbes, 
P. E. Fitzgerald, 
S. G. Gray, 
F\ O. Gaines, 
Chas. h. Hall, 
John Hohner, 
C. M. Holden, 



G. H. Kaulback, 
h\ M. Munson, 
C. W. Munson, 
E. H. Morey, 
E. J. Morey, 
Iv. Mogle 

B. B. Noyes, Jr., 
W. J. O'Brien, 
E. S. Rockwood, 
W. J. Sears, 

G. H. Stearns, 

E. M. Slocomb, 
J. H. Smead, 

F. H. Ulrich, 

C. E. Winslow. 



PRIVATES 

H. E. Ames, 
G. E. Arms, 
G. J. Alcott, 
W. L. Barton, 

F. L. Baker, 

A. A. Baker, 

C. M. Bickford, 
J. B. Bridges, 
W. S. Bardwell, 

B. H. Bennett, 
J. M. Bitzer, 
J. C. Blagden, 
N. Blouin, 

T. N. Budding-ton, 
Ed. Bulman, 
W. E. Buffington, 
E. J. Brennan, 
W. E. Brainard, 

C. G. Brown, 

G. Iv. Browne, 
J. B. Black, 

C. F. Blodgett, 
G. G. Burnhani, 
T. H. Benton, 



AND MUSICIANS. ' 

S. H. Burroughs, 
L. A. Cook, 
A. G. Childs, 
Geo. Clutterbuck, 
P. C. Comstock, 
J. H. Carney, 

C. D. Cram, 
M. Chase, 

E. J. Coughlin, 

D. Iv. Crowninshield, 

F. C. Chapman, 
M. S. Carpenter, 
C. B. Carpenter, 

A. B. Cromack, 
F. H. Clapp, 
T. Chadwick, 

C. D. Conway, 
J. Dal ton, 

E. W. Davis, 
J. S. Dripps, 

B. M. Dowd, 
M. S. Donovan, 
W. J. Dempsey. 

D. Doherty, 



114 



CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



A. H. Davey, 
J. F. Duunigan, 
W. Deneault, 
H. O. Eclgerton, 
J. L. Eppler, 

C. B. Eads, 
G. M. Ellis, 
H. Iv. Field, 
M.J. Farr, 

E. J. Flyun, 
J. H. Flynn, 
J. L,. Fegau, 

J. F. Forrestall, 
G. C. Frary, 

D. M. Foley, 
C. Fountaine, 

A. S. Foster, 

F. C. Griswold, 

B. E. Gaines, 
W. B. Gaines, ' 

C. H. Gooduow, 
W. H. Griffith, 

F. Gascoigne, 
O. George, 

L. A. Hawkes, 
H. H. Hayden, 
F*. A. Hayden, 
W. P. Herron, 
A. E. Holden, 
J. M. Hubbard, 
R. B Hubbard, 
C Hickey, 
J. P. Hanley, 
E A Howland, 
M. D. Howland, 
H. Johnson, 
W. Johnson, 
C. B. Jenkins, 
W. C. Kennon, 
J. S. Kennedy, 
S. Kennedy, 

G. W. Kimball, 



H. E. Kimball, 
R. A. Lee, 

F. M. Logan, 
T. F. Lynch, 

B. M. Lamb, 

G. B. Loomis, 

E. Mason, 

W. J. McAdanis, 
li. Murphy, 
• D. H. Murphy, 

F. A. Morey, 
F. D. Morey, 
W. C. Merz, 

J. H. Marrion, 
H. P. Marvel, 
I. W. Magrath, 
A. J. Markley, 
Jas. McVey, 
F. A. Moebus, 
J. W .Morrison, 
J. J. McCarthy, 

C. H. Mann, 
C. C. Magoon, 

F. Nutting, 

G. L. Nash, 
H. Nash, 

C. J. Osgood. 
F. O'Brien, 
H. E. Potter, 
F. H. Porter, 
F. S. Perry, 
F. H. Perkins, 
A. C. Paull, 
R. E. Pray, 
A. X. Petit, 
H. L. Parker, 
S. F. Phillips, 
H. S. Pierce, 
A. J. Patnode, Jr. 
J. F. Powers, 
M. J. Powers, 
C. Pond, 



The SiN'KEN ■' Mkkrimack." 





Wreck ok the •■ Keina Mkkcicues 



EX-MEMinCRS OF COMPANY I.. 



I i; 



P. J. Peltier, 

A. Quackenbiish, 

J. H. Reynolds, 

G. G. Ross, 

E. C. Rice, 

H. O. Rock wood, 

W. F. Russell, 

E. F. Russell, 
W. J. Riley, 
C. J. Rist, 

F. S. Sweet, 
h. W. Smith, 

G. W. Smith, 
M. \V. Smith, 

F. \V. Strecker, 
C. h. Stay, 

G. W. Smead, 
J. B. Smead, 

A. C. Stauuard, 
C. S. Shaw, 
W. M. Simpsou, 
J. H.' Sears, 
M. J. Shea, 
F. T. Seamau, 
H. S. Savage, 



W. J. Slattery, 
W. A. Stark, 
J. F. vStark, 
G. C. Schaffer, 

B. W. vSuowman, 
W. M. Tooiiiey, 
M. W. Topham, 
W. Iv. Tatreau, 
F\ F\ Tatreau, 

C. W. Thayer, 
J. Thompson, 
J.J. Wait, 

W. S. Wait, 
E. R. Warner, 
O. M. Woodman, 
W. W. Wilcox, 
H. M. Woodard, 
M. F. Whithed, 
C. Wells, 

C. Wise, 

D. J. Walker, 
P. Way and, 
W. W. Wilber, 
J. Welch, 

J. F. Yetter. 



ROSTER 

COMPANY L 2ND REGIMENT INFANTRY, M. V. M. 
Ji'LY I, I goo. 



Captain, Frederick A. Draper. 

First Lieutenant, Don A. Aldricfi. Second Lieutenant, Fayette B. Mason. 

ist Sergeant, Donald M. Lobdell, Private, Patrick H. Dunnigan, 

Q. M. Sergeant, Edward J. Class. " Arthur W. Eden. 

Sergeant, Herbert S. Porter, " Clarence W. Elliott, 

Henry J. Stearns, " Ernest Fizzette, 

Willis B. Fay, " William D. Galvin, 

Henry C. Graves, " William Graham, 

Corporal, Herbert N. Kelley, " Elwin A. Graves, 

Hugh S. Riddell, " Ralph Hale, 

David F. Sears, " Arlie W. Herrick, 

Charles E. Smart. " Charles L. Hillman. 

Harry C. Hall, " Arthur E. lackson, 

" William E. Luzarder, " Timothy Kiley, 

Allen Mellor, (cook), " Louis Luippold, 

Musician, Ferdinand D. Roudenbush. " William Luippold, 

Private, Harry W. Ashley, " Fred Peterson, 

Robert F. Barr, " Arthur C. Pratt, 

Robert E. Bean, " Edward Schroder, 

Gotlieb Bitzer, " Fred C. Seibert, 

' George W. Bowers, " Frank A. Smith, 

Frank M. Breslin, " John S. Smith, 

Thomas Breslin, " Lester F. Smith, 

Edward F. Bundy, " Lovell S. Spaulding, 

Robert C. Childs, " Ernest K. Suhl, 

Jesse A. Clifford, " Sereno W. Thayer, 

William E. Corless, " John A. Thorniley, 

John Curkendall, " Frank Vladish, 

Warren P. H. Davis. " George O. Williams, 

John A. Day, " Leon C. Williams. 
" James Donovan, 



ELEVENTH PROVISIONAL CO. M. V. M. 



After the departure of Company L for the front, it became 
necessary, under the law, to establish a temporary or provis- 
ional Company to take its place during its absence. The 
home guard responded promptly, and, after much delay on 
the part of the State, the following men were enrolled and 
mustered into the service on August 24, 1900: — 

T. L. Comstock, Captain. 
F. B. Felton, First Lieutenant. II. H. Cutler, Second Lieutenant. 

W. S. Allen, Esq., J. B. Kennedy, 

F. C. Alston, B. M. Lamb, 

B. H. Bennett, H. L. Moody, 

A. T. Beals, M. D. Mitchell, 

F. W. Blan.chard, F. E. Mogle, 

S. D. Conant, Esq., H. S. Porter, 

J. H. Carney, Alfonso Patnode, 

(^eo. C. Derry, E. C. Plumley, 

Victor Damm, J. C. Plumley, 

A. W. Eden, H. \V. Parker, 
J. F. Flynn, E. R. Parker, 

W. B. Gaines, F. D. Roudenbush, 

B. E. Gaines, G. H. Stearns, 
L. M. Graves, C. S. Shaw, 

L. A. Jackman, P. L, Streeter, 

W. E. Johnson, Fred A. Smith, 

E. W. Jones, A. F. Smead, 

H. N. Kelley, F. H. Sherman, 

W. E. Kimball, Edward Schroder, 

W. C. Kennon, S. W. Thayer, 

Sherrard Kennedy, F. A. York. 

Several of these men had been officers or members of 
Compan)'' L, M. V. M., and made up an organization which 
the town might well be proud of. They were mustered out 
of the service early in 1899, after accom[)lishing the purpose 
for which they were organized. 



LIEUT. CHAS. H. FIELD GARRISON, NO. 190. 

REGULAR AND VOLUNTEER ARMY AND NAVY UNION OF THE 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



As a natural result of comradeship and a desire to per- 
petuate the memory of our dead heroes and the hardships 
and experiences through which we passed during^ the Span- 
ish war, it was proposed and carried into effect to establish a 
Garrison of the Regular and Volunteer Army and Navy 
Union. 

This Garrison was very appropriately named in honor of 
Lieut. Chas. H. Field. 

It was instituted on May 8, 1900, and has the following 
membership : 

Major F. E. Pierce, Commander, 
Lieut. F. B. Mason, Senior Vice Commander, 
Lieut. T. D. Murphy, Junior Vice Commander, 
Lieut. D. A. Aidrich, Adjutant, 
A. G. Salisbury, Paymaster, 
Chas. C. Class, Quartermaster, 
E. J. Class, Officer of the Day, 
H. H. DeVerger, Officer of the Guard, 
Donald M. Lobdell, Officer of the Watch, 
W. P. H. Davis, Chaplain, 
R. A. Gary, W. J. Kingston, 

F. W. Carpenter, W. H. Miller, 
J. D. Cook, E. M. Slocomb, 
E. M. Cornell, F. A. Smith, 

G. H. DeRevere, C. A. Smead, 
C. S. Frost, F. C. Schiller, 

L. E. Frcshour, R. A. Van Petersil ge, 

VV. B. Fay, H. L. Woodard, 

H. C. Hall, H. A. Watson. 




A 'r\"l'H;AL Sl'AN'ISl! Sl)l.l>Il".K. 



GREENFIELD AUXILIARY TO THE MASS. 
VOL. AID ASSOCIATION. 



THE WOMEN AT THE FRONT. 

These uiay not tread the jungle, nor storm the frowning hill; 

They stand not in the rifle-pit, they man no sullen gun ; 
But they are with the army, and with strength their pulses thrill, 

And theirs will be the victor's part, when once the strife is done. 

Standing for the old flag, standing firm for God, 

Standing for humanity, they meet the battle's brunt. 
These women, who for heart-ache, scarce can see the path they've trod, 

vSince they kissed the lads they love so dear, and sent them to the front. 

— Tlie Independent. 

This orgfanization was the outgfrowth of benevolent work 
laid out by Dorothy Quincy Chapter, D. A. R. It was first 
proposed that this Chapter should carry on the relief work 
necessary, but the fact of its being a small body numerically, 
decided the starting of an association which could embrace 
all sects and creeds, and the members of other charitable or- 
ganizations, and give everybody a chance to join its ranks 
and take an active part in the good work which it contem- 
plated. As a result the Greenfield Auxiliary to the Mas.sa- 
chusetts Volunteer Aid Association was started on June 6, 
1898. Its by-laws follow: 

Article I This organization shall be known as the Greenfield Auxiliary 
to the Massachusetts Volunteer Aid Association. 



I20 CO. L, 2NI) MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 



Article II. Its special object shall be to promote the health and com- 
fort of the soldiers and sailors from this locality serving in the war with vSpain, 
and the care of their families. 

Artici^e hi. Anyone may become a member of this Association by pay- 
ing into its treasury the sum of fifty cents. 

Article IV. Its officers shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Re- 
cording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer, and sixteen Direct- 
ors There shall also be a First and Second Auditor. There shall be three 
standing committees of five members each in charge of the following divisions 
of the work, namely : ' Finance and Information, Purchasing and Packing. 

Article V. Section i. The officers, including the Directors of the Auxil- 
iary, shall constitute an executive board Section 2. The duties of the exe- 
cutive board shall be to fill standing committee, to appoint the special com- 
mittee that may be required to carry on the work of the Auxiliary, to fill 
vacancies in their own body, and to manage all the business and interests of 
the Association. 

Article VI. Seven members of the executive board shall constitute a 
quorum for the transaction of business 

Article VII. There shall be an advisory committee of men, the chairman 
of the board of selectmen to be chairman ex-officio 

Article VIII This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of 
the members present, and voting at any regular meeting, notice of such 
amendment having been given at the previous meeting. 

Its first officers were: Mrs H C. Embury, President; Mrs. A C. Walker, 
First Vice-President; Mrs N S. Cutler, Second Vice-President; Jos. W. 
Stevens, Treasurer; Miss Edith A Stratton, Recording Secretary; Mrs H. W. 
Kellogg, Corresponding Secretary; Directors, Mrs. E A. Hall, Mrs. J. H 
Sanderson, Mrs J Solon Clark, Mrs. Dwight D. Holden, Mrs. W S Carson, 
Mrs Frank W. Foster, Mrs Sarah E VVoodard, Mrs. Henry E Goodell, 
Miss Maggie O'Brien, Mrs. Emma Cowan, Mrs. James Pigott, Mrs J C. 
O'Brien, Mrs Henry L, Miller, Mrs John Brooks, Mrs C Class, Mrs Rode. 

Advisory Board, E. B Blake, chairman; Hon E A. Hall, Chas R. Lowell, 
N S Cutler, E A Ncwcomb 

Finance and Information, Mrs. A C Deane, chairman; Mrs F E Snow, 
Mrs J. G. Stoddard, Mrs. Anson Withey, Miss Eliza Osgood. 

Purchasing Committee, Mrs Jos Griswold, Mrs. W. H. Pierce, Mrs. F. h. 
Greene, Mrs Grace D. Richmond, Mrs N. J. Lawler. 

Auditors, Mrs. A. C. Walker, Mrs. H. L. Miller 

Collector, Mrs. J. H. Sanderson. 



GREENFIELD AUXILIARY. I 21 



The Auxiliary voted to gain membership in the Massa- 
chusetts Volunteer Aid Association on June nth, and Mrs. 
Susan Embury, its President, was selected as the member to 
represent the Auxiliary in that body. 

Its membership swelled to a grand total of 245. The 
amount of work it did in the six months of its active career 
was enormous. 

If Company L had remained in the service longer the 
goods purchased and made by this Association, would have 
been of incalculable value. As it was, much good was accom- 
plished, and the boys of Company L will always have a warm 
spot in their hearts and memory for the good people who 
made up this philanthropic body. 




A LETTER FROM DOROTHY OUINCY 
HANCOCK CHAPTER, D. A^R. 



To Capt. F. E. Pierce and Members of Company L: — 

As the time approaches for you to go upon duty, the ladies of 
Dorothy Quincy Hancock Chapter, Daughters of American Revolu- 
tion, feel that they cannot let you depart without making an effort to 
express to you their deep and abiding interest in you and the cause 
for which you go forth. As loyal descendants of those sturdy 
patriots of 1776, to you — many of you also descendants of the 
same honored band, — we ask your acceptance of this slight testi- 
monial — our society colors, — in token of our respect for, and con- 
fidence in, your ability to nobly perform whatever duty may de- 
volve upon you; and trust that in connection v/ith our well beloved 
Country's Flag, it may prove a fitting inspiration toward the suc- 
cessfulness of your mission. 

And as you go forth, may you feel that the heart of every loyal 
woman responds to the Country's Call, and that the members of the 
Dorothy Quincy Hancock Chapter — with this penant — wish you 
"Godspeed," and, commending you to the Omnipresent Power, "A 
safe return with shield unsullied." 

Louise GrIswold Deane, 

Regent. 
Greenfield, Mass., April 30, 1898. 




JrnoE Kranki.ix G. Hessknukn. 



CITIZENS RELIEF COMMITTEE. 



This committee had no real organization, but spruno- up 
spontaneously as a result of a desire on the part of pnnn\ 
nent citizens to assist the local Company at 'the front in a 
financial way. 

John F. Spring and Joseph W. Stevens had written to Captain 
Pierce inquiring how best the citizens could assist the Com 
pany, and they had been informed that a small financial con 
tribution would be of great help to the organization 

As a result, over one thousand dollars were raised, and much 
of It by voluntary contribution. Five hundred dollars (Scoo) 
was placed to the credit of Captain Pierce, and of this sum 
three hundred dollars was returned to the fund on the re- 
turn of the Company to Greenfield. 

The opportunities to purchase needed supplies, etc., were 
poor, or a much larger sum would have been expended' 

But the money has been handled to great advantage in the 
care of sick soldiers and their needy families. It is too bad 
for the sake of local history, and deserved mention, that this 
Relief Committee was not regularly organized, si that the 
names of at least the more prominent leaders and officers 
could be given in this book. Modesty and a spirit of un- 
ostentatiousness has prompted the prominent leaders in this 
movement to request that no special mention be made of 
their names. Too much cannot be said in praise of the good 



124 CO. L, 2ND MASS., IN SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. 

work accomplished by these citizens, which was carried on 
largely in conjunction with that of the Greenfield Auxiliary 
to the Massacfiusetts Volunteer Aid ^Association. 

woman's relief corps and EDWIN E. DAY POST, G. A. R. 

Special mention should also be made of the Woman's Re- 
lief Corps and the local G. A. R. Post. 

The Relief Corps presented us their colors and badge on 
our departure for the front, and in our absence contributed 
largely for our benefit. 

The members of the G. A. R. Post have exhibited every 
sign of comradeship and courtesy passible, and shortly after 
our return publicly manifested their interest in ns by giving 
the boys a reception and banquet. 

We congratulate the members of Edwin E. Day Post upon 
moving into their new quarters. This home was made pos- 
sible because of the appreciation of their services by the 
loyal citizens of Greenfield. 




1903 



I 



7^% 



